Sony Cancels The Interview Over Hacking Threat - Update

[Fanghawk]

Sony Cancels The Interview Over Hacking Threat - Update

In the wake of the Sony Pictures hack and recent cyber-threats, The Interview has been cancelled just before its North American launch.

Update: Almost immediately after posting the original story, Sony Pictures announced that it's officially cancelling The Interview's North American launch.

"We have decided not to move forward with the planned Dec. 25 theatrical release," Sony said in an emailed statement. "We respect and understand our partners' decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers."

Source: <a href=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-17/sony-cancels-the-interview-release-as-theaters-back-out.html>Bloomberg

Original Story: Sony Pictures has been in the news quite a bit lately, thanks to <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/138906-Sony-Pictures-Entertainment-Security-Breach-Cybersecurity>a cybersecurity breach that revealed <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/138994-Sony-Hack-Reveals-Spider-Man-Almost-Crossed-Over-For-Avengers-And-Civil-War>all kinds of disappointing, behind-the-scenes movie info. But a potentially darker side of the story arrived yesterday, when hackers threatened to attack any theater that airs Sony's upcoming film, The Interview. Whether the threat itself is legitimate or not, it's concerned several major theater chains enough to delay or drop The Interview a mere week before its launch date.

"Due to the wavering support of the film The Interview by Sony Pictures, as well as the ambiguous nature of any real or perceived security threats, Regal Entertainment Group has decided to delay the opening of the film in our theaters," Regal Entertainment said in a statement to Deadline.

While Sony still plans to release The Interview for the original release date, it's halted TV advertising and offered theater owners the option of stepping back from the film. And film chains are certainly taking Sony up on that: Outside of Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, Carmike Cinemas, and Cineplex, and other chains have dropped The Interview. On top of everything else, The Interview's NYC premiere has also been cancelled.

In all, the holiday season isn't looking so great for The Interview, despite the Department of Homeland Security's belief that an actual threat is unlikely. Still, it's hard not to blame the theater chains, considering hackers casually name-dropped the 9/11 attacks:

We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places 'The Interview' be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you'd better leave.) Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment. All the world will denounce the SONY.

The Interview is the latest comedy from Seth Rogen and James Franco, where the actors play reporters hired to kill North Korean leader Kin Jong-un. Many suspect the Sony Picture hack itself, and by association this cyber-threat, was an orchestrated response by the North Korean government. While that's not confirmed, it's certainly damaging other film projects about the nation: <a href=http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/17/7411845/north-korea-thriller-starring-steve-carell-has-been-canceled>A planned North Korean "paranoid thriller" starring Steve Carrell has already been cancelled.

Source: <a href=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/source-top-five-theater-circuits-758843>Hollywood Reporter

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[Nimcha]

Well that's just great. Hackers are now the censors.

 

[Redryhno]

Well, looks like, as always, the pirates will win out in the end.

 

[Roxas1359]

Honestly, this is way too coordinated to be around the time of The Interview and it's launch for me to not believe that North Korea wasn't involved in at least something. I mean hell, when the movie was still being made North Korea was threatening war over the damn thing. This hack also showed how Sony Pictures never got the memo of improving security it seems.

Call me crazy if you want, but all this seems way too close and too focused to be the regular types of hackers that just like to screw with people.

 

[Sixcess]

So... terrorism works, and now the next pack of fanatics who want to force them to pull a product they dislike will know exactly how to go about it. Bravo, Sony.

considering hackers casually name-dropped the 9/11 attacks

Pushing around a private company is one thing, but an act of state-sponsored terrorism by NK on US soil would be an open ivitation for the USA to come in and show them exactly how worthless the fourth largest army in the world is in 21st century warfare.

Quite honestly the sooner someone does get around to overthrowing the NK regime the better it will be for everyone, including the North Korean people themselves.

 

[Gizen]

And once again, just like virtually every other time in recent history, the terrorists have won. Way to ***** out Sony.

What's especially sad about this is you know it's North Korean terrorists, which means they can't actually do shit. They have no actual power to physically threaten anyone other than South Korea, and if they rock the boat too hard in that direction they'd likely just get wiped off the face of the earth in retaliation faster than you can blink.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

Conspiracy theory time: sony is intentionally making movies to piss of the Norks in an attempt to get them to go to war and destory sony's competition in South Korea.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Now, while interest is in it at an all time high, Sony should just release the film digitally, and make mad money.

 

[MovieBob]

Total chickenshit move on all fronts, but let's be REALLY clear about one thing: nobody - not Sony, not the theater owners, not law-enforcement, NOBODY - thinks that North Korea can actually do anything, or would actually do anything. Where this is coming from, on the theaters' end, is corporate liability lawyers.

North Korea isn't going to blow up a movie theater, but now that they've so much as brought it up it becomes a liability issue: If some local pyro-prankster in some town in the U.S. decides (whether aware of the NK threats or not) that this would be a good occasion to set off an explosive or cause some other kind of damage at a theater showing THE INTERVIEW and someone gets so much as a stubbed toe as a result; that somebody's lawyer could have grounds to sue said theater for MILLIONS on the basis of "You heard there was a bomb threat and didn't pull the movie, making you culpable for our client's injury."

It's still an act of rank cowardice, don't get me wrong, but what's scary about it is that NK has seemingly found a way to game the U.S. legal system to get their way.

 

[Callate]

Lame. Lame, lame, lame, lame, lame. Also, lame.

I hope it still gets a DVD/digital/Netflix release; I don't think hackers can credibly threaten thousands of retail outlets and millions of homes.

I can understand how Sony can believe, especially in the wake of the cyber attacks, that the real-world consequences aren't worth one comedy movie. I can also understand that for all that we may fume about submitting to this kind of pressure, those who are actually in the line of fire face the issue from a very different angle.

But sometimes you have to consider the long-term consequences of showing fanatics that a horrific tactic can be effective. In this regard, Sony has failed both itself and every other entertainment media provider.

 

[AidoZonkey]

The movie was meant to be out a week from now, hackers or not why the hell would you cancel it this close to the date. Threats of this nature have been circulating round this film since its announcement and now you decide that its too big of a risk to release. There is no reason why you shouldn't go on with the release now that you are this deep into it

 

[Worgen]

They should just make it public domain, as a big middle finger to the hackers.

 

[mysecondlife]

So terrorism wins?

Quick! Someone pretend to be terrorists so that Michael Bay never releases another movie again!

 

[Trishbot]

Well, this is what the hackers wanted, so the hackers win. They succeeded.

I'm sure Sony will just release it on Netflix or something, though.

... And yet we have TEAM AMERICA, which is a far more stinging endorsement for how awful North Korea is than the Interview likely ever was.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Sony are cowards, granted The Interview looked lame but thats not the point. They should update their security and tell the hackers to go to hell. Thing is, now they allowed the hackers to win, they will be targeted even more because people know that Sony will capitulate.

 

[fix-the-spade]

So terrorism wins?

Quick! Someone pretend to be terrorists so that Michael Bay never releases another movie again!

Threaten to blow a Michael Bay movie up, Michael Bay will be there at the alotted time and date with a video camera, waiting.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Cowards. Complete and utter cowards. They will regret this eventually. Everyone will see them as easy targets.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Total chickenshit move on all fronts, but let's be REALLY clear about one thing: nobody - not Sony, not the theater owners, not law-enforcement, NOBODY - thinks that North Korea can actually do anything, or would actually do anything. Where this is coming from, on the theaters' end, is corporate liability lawyers.

North Korea isn't going to blow up a movie theater, but now that they've so much as brought it up it becomes a liability issue: If some local pyro-prankster in some town in the U.S. decides (whether aware of the NK threats or not) that this would be a good occasion to set off an explosive or cause some other kind of damage at a theater showing THE INTERVIEW and someone gets so much as a stubbed toe as a result; that somebody's lawyer could have grounds to sue said theater for MILLIONS on the basis of "You heard there was a bomb threat and didn't pull the movie, making you culpable for our client's injury."

It's still an act of rank cowardice, don't get me wrong, but what's scary about it is that NK has seemingly found a way to game the U.S. legal system to get their way.

Yeah, it is kinda scary; NK, on nearly every level, represents NO actual threat to any country. Technologically, militarily, economically, etc, they got NOTHING on any sort of country, including their own neighbors. The ONLY reason nobody has dealt with NK is because of China unfortunately having to acknowledge them as their idiotic, glue-sniffing little cousin (and even China doesn't really like NK). With Sony also having to gear up for ANOTHER class action lawsuit due to not only this hack, but one that happened NINE MONTHS AGO that they didn't tell people about, they're having a REALLY bad year

 

[dalek sec]

Cowards. Complete and utter cowards. They will regret this eventually. Everyone will see them as easy targets.

Pretty much this for the most part. I'd say more about it but I'm pretty sure I would be banned so I'll just say this: Way to wimp out Sony, hackers will see you guys very easy target's to bully and harass.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Threats worked against Anita, and threats apparently work against Sony. This is really sad, but then I guess that's the type of world we live in now. One person, or even just a small group of people, are capable of doing massive amounts of damage, and if something did happen, you can bet that Sony would get all the blame for it, not the hackers or the people that launch the attack.