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Study links North Korea to Sony hack and malware campaign
Cyber-security firms Kaspersky and Alienvault Labs announced at the Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit that they had uncovered new evidence linking the massive Sony Pictures hack of 2014 with an ongoing malware attack directed at South Korea. The security firms believe that the same group has perpetrated both attacks and, though they did not specify where the attacks were coming from, their evidence does point to the group most likely operating out of North Korea.
Somebody's already making a movie about the Sony hack
Mere months after a series of red lights began flashing in Sony's IT department, a film covering the event has already been greenlit. The Hollywood Reporter believes that a documentary about the studio-toppling event is to be helmed by the creators of Netflix's award-winning The Square, Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer. There's already a suggestion that the pair will discard the notion that North Korea was behind the attack, investigating the likelihood that this was, instead, an inside job. It's slightly fortunate for the duo, who were already researching a documentary concerning cyberattacks and digital warfare. The flick is still at an early stage of production and no studio has yet to agree to distribute it, but we'd think Sony would be a receptive host -- after all, they're certainly likely to make some money out of everyone's morbid curiosity.
Sony Pictures co-chair steps down months after massive hack
The hacking of Sony Pictures may not have stopped The Interview from being released, but now the Deadline reports the studio has announced co-chairman Amy Pascal will step down. Pascal has been with the company since the 80s when it was just Columbia Pictures, and her profile notes Sony had 95 movies hit #1 since 2000 under her leadership. In November news broke that Sony Pictures had suffered a crippling hack, disabling computers and locking employees out of the network for days, and what followed got even worse as information leaked out in bunches.
'The Interview' is on Netflix streaming
As promised, the movie Kim Jong Un preferred you didn't see is now available if you have a Netflix subscription (and an account in US or Canada). Whether or not watching The Interview is a good idea is still a matter of taste/importance, but at this point it really couldn't get any easier (at least until it comes to Sony's Crackle service for free ad-supported streaming at some point in the future.) Oh, and if you're looking to get Amazon Prime for $72 ($27 off the regular price, good for new or existing customers who send it to themselves as a "gift" today only) and/or watch Transparent for free, you can do that right now too. Have a great weekend!
What's on your HDTV: State of the Union, 'The Fall', 'Justified'
Tonight President Barack Obama's State of the Union address gives us a great chance to compare the quality in feeds of different networks (oh, and the political stuff), but we're really waiting for the premiere episode of the final season of Justified. We missed the return of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Workaholics and Broad City last week, but those -- along with the new show Man Seeking Woman -- are probably worth catching up on. Netflix is about to add season two of the excellent show The Fall to its streaming queue and of course The Interview on Saturday. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Netflix will have 'The Interview' streaming on Saturday
In the midst of Netflix's Q4 financial report (if you're wondering - it added the expected amount of subscribers this time, unlike Q3) it revealed a few things viewers will actually be interested in. First of all, it's going to have The Interview available for streaming to US and Canadian subscribers starting Saturday. That puts the Sony Pictures flick on streaming just about a month after its unconventional Christmas Day theater / video on demand launch that netted $40 million online, and ahead of its Blu-ray release February 17th. Also, its first movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II: The Green Destiny is scheduled to debut everywhere on August 26th, hitting "select" IMAX screens at the same time it premieres on Netflix. That's part of an original content push that will bring 320 hours of original series, films, documentaries and stand-up comedy to the service this year -- triple the amount it had in 2014 (bookmark the list of premiere dates posted here). As usual, Netflix is broadcasting its earnings call live on YouTube, and you can watch it after the break. Update (1/24): And here it is, now you can watch The Interview on Netflix.
Top stories from 2014, Google talks Title II and other stories you might've missed
Happy New Year, folks! To celebrate the start of 2015, we rounded up all stories that helped make the past 365 days so memorable -- and they're just a click away. Head on down to the gallery below for the stories that defined 2014 and more, including The Interview's aftermath, why sitting will kill you and Google's plan for Fiber under Title II. You know you want to.
President Obama orders stricter sanctions on North Korea after Sony hack
According to a press release that just hit the Treasury Department's website, President Barack Obama has issued an executive order that calls for even more restrictive sanctions on North Korea for its role in the massive hack attack on Sony Pictures late last year. In his words, the new financial clampdown is because of North Korea's "destructive, coercive cyber-related actions during November and December." "Today's actions are driven by our commitment to hold North Korea accountable for its destructive and destabilizing conduct," Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a statement. "Even as the FBI continues its investigation into the cyber-attack against Sony Pictures Entertainment, these steps underscore that we will employ a broad set of tools to defend U.S. businesses and citizens, and to respond to attempts to undermine our values or threaten the national security of the United States."
DVDs of 'The Interview' will be airdropped on North Korea
Sony's once-forbidden The Interview is now seemingly ubiquitous, but there's one place where you can't get it: North Korea, the country that inspired the movie (and allegedly, the hacking campaign) in the first place. If defector and activist Park Sang-hak has his way, though, North Koreans will see that movie whether or not their government approves. Park plans to use balloons to airdrop 100,000 copies of the comedy (both on DVD and USB drives) in the country starting in late January. In theory, North Koreans will have second thoughts about Kim Jong-un's rule once they see him as less than perfect -- and if you've seen the movie, you know how eagerly it knocks Kim off his pedestal.
'The Interview' spreads to cable VOD, DirecTV, Vudu and more theaters
In the space of a few days, Sony Pictures' The Interview has gone from unreleased to impossible to avoid. Cable video on-demand operator inDemand has added the movie to its roster, so for $5.99, pretty much anyone with pay-TV service can rent it right now instead of needing one of Google's video services, Xbox or iTunes. It's also popped up on WalMart's video service Vudu in the past day, is available via DirecTV, and according to Variety, as of Friday the number of theaters where its playing will grow to 580, compared to 331 on Christmas Day. If you're still on the fence about viewing you can use our opinion or that of others, but the movie that couldn't be stopped by North Korea (and/or company insiders) has already reportedly brought Sony $15 million through its unconventional release.
'The Interview' and the aftermath
After a very public admonition by President Barack Obama, Sony Pictures released The Interview to Google Play, YouTube, the PlayStation and Xbox stores and now iTunes, to say nothing of over 300 independent theaters across the United States in time for Christmas. Despite the risks and the technical challenges involved, Sony did it. It made good on its word. Now that we're past the big holiday weekend, though, let's take a moment to step back and look at The Interview's aftermath as it stands.
'The Interview' is already Sony's most popular online movie to date
There was a ton of hoopla about Sony releasing The Interview through internet services before it even hit theaters, but how much did this not-entirely-intentional experiment in online distribution pan out? Quite well, if you ask Sony. It just revealed that the movie racked up $15 million in digital rentals and sales (spread across 2 million customers) between its Wednesday release and Saturday, making the North Korea-themed comedy the studio's "#1 online film of all time" within a matter of days. The company isn't breaking down numbers by service, but Recode's sources claim that the "vast majority" of business came from Google Play and YouTube. Sorry, Xbox Video.
Better late than never, iTunes is offering 'The Interview'
iTunes was conspicuously absent from the list of internet services defying hacker threats by offering The Interview, but Apple is remedying that situation today. As of 1PM Eastern, Americans and Canadians can buy or rent the movie from iTunes; you won't have to bend over backwards (or at least, download an app) to watch the hyped-up comedy on your Apple TV or iPad. Netflix still isn't an option, but it won't be surprising if Sony wants to wring out as much profit as it can from purchases and rentals before going the subscription route.
After the hype: here's what the internet thinks of 'The Interview'
So you resisted the pressure to watch The Interview the second it became available, and you're not willing to rely on one review to decide whether it's really worth a download or theater trip just to stick it to hackers. No worries -- we've rounded up some of the more prominent reviews to give you a sense of whether or not the North Korean adventures of Franco and Rogen are any good. You may already have a sense of how well this over-the-top comedy fares, but don't be too quick to judge. You might find a few reasons to shell out some cash (or at least wait for that rumored Netflix release) to see The Interview, even if it's far from a cinematic masterpiece.
The Interview: 2014's most infamous film isn't great, but it's important
Let's face it, The Interview would have had to be nothing short of a masterpiece to justify all of the drama around its release. Well, it's not -- but it's not a terrible movie either. The comedy about the assassination of Kim Jong-un prompted terrorist attack threats from hackers (and North Korea itself, according to the FBI), which led to a sudden cancellation by Sony Pictures and a response from President Obama. But in the end, it's just another slacker bro-fest entry from Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg (Rogen's writing and directing partner), and James Franco. You'll probably laugh a bit, as I did, if you're a fan of their schtick. But if you can't stand anything by these guys, this movie won't change your mind. At the same time, it's clear that the story around The Interview will continue to be one of the most fascinating media tales well into 2015.
'The Interview' internet release comes to YouTube, Google Play and Xbox
Sure, Sony may be defying hackers' threats by letting independent theaters screen The Interview, but you might not live close enough to watch the flick. What if you want to see it online? You might get that chance. Sources for both CNN and Recode claim that Google has "tentatively agreed" to distribute the movie online in rental form, both through Play Movies and YouTube; Sony would also stream the movie through its own website. There's a possibility that the Google deal will fall apart (this happened with iTunes, apparently), since distributors are reportedly worried that they'll face retaliatory hacks. If an agreement comes together, though, it would represent an important milestone -- it's not often that you see a major studio movie launch both online and in theaters at the same time. We've reached out to Google for details, and we'll let you know if there's anything official. Update: Yep, it's happening. Sony will make the comedy available through a special page, Google Play, YouTube and Xbox Video starting today at 1PM Eastern. It'll cost $6 to rent, or $15 to own. A PlayStation Network release date, meanwhile, is coming "shortly." We're also gathering tweets from early reactions to the movie right here. Update 2: And now The Interview has its first international premiere, as Google Canada just announced the movie is available on its outlets there too.
Sony Pictures: 'The Interview' will be in theaters on Christmas Day
Sony Pictures claimed it couldn't premiere The Interview after major theater chains pulled out due to threats, but independent operators (and the president) have successfully called it out. Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League tweeted that Sony has authorized screenings of the now must-see film, and you can expect to see Christmas Day shows available within the hour. The Hollywood Reporter notes that the Plaza Atlanta theater has also stated it will have showings on Thursday, although Sony Pictures has yet to comment publicly. According to LA Times reporter Joe Bel Bruno Sony Pictures has confirmed the plan, and indie theaters "are lining up" to show North Korea's least-favorite movie while CEO Michael Lynton is trying to get the widest release possible. Citing anonymous sources, several outlets have reported the plans include a video-on-demand release, and will be announced publicly later today. Update: Sony Pictures has released a statement confirming a "limited theatrical release" on Thursday, but so far has not provided a list of theaters where the movie will be shown, or if any video-on-demand release is a part of the plan. According to Lynton the studio never gave up on releasing the movie, and "we are continuing our efforts to secure more platforms and more theaters so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience." President Barack Obama has chimed in again, with a statement applauding the decision. Now we're faced with the toughest question of all: Did we actually want to see this movie? Update 2: The movie will be released online! At 1PM ET today on YouTube, Xbox and Sony's website. You can get all the details here, but if you prefer the theatrical experience a list of theaters is posted right here.
The US wants China's help blocking North Korean hackers
Apparently, the US is willing to recruit any ally it can get in its digital battles -- including countries that are frequently its adversaries. Sources for both the Associated Press and the New York Times claim that American officials have asked China to implement a block that would "cripple" North Korea's ability to launch cyberattacks like the one that hobbled Sony Pictures. Unfortunately, this request may be more than a little optimistic. China reportedly agrees that the attacks aren't cool, but it hasn't promised help. It doesn't exactly have much of an incentive to lend a hand when it's frequently engaged in cyberwarfare with the US.
North Korea denies attacking Sony, offers to help investigate (updated)
North Korea has ratcheted the absurdity level of the Sony hack up a notch by pleading its innocence again and even offering to help find the real perpetrators. The FBI recently blamed North Korea for the attack that forced Sony Pictures Entertainment to cancel The Interview starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. The nation is so anxious to "help" that it warned the US of "grave consequences" if it doesn't undertake a joint probe. While still denying culpability, North Korea's propaganda arm KCNA nevertheless went on in great detail about how the Interview "defamed its dignity," and said it would retaliate if the US refuses to work with it (judging by the rough translation).
Sony Pictures CEO claims 'we have not caved'
While President Obama has joined the voices criticizing Sony Pictures for its decision to pull The Interview, its CEO claims he " In an interview with CNN set to air tonight during Anderson Cooper 360, Michael Lynton tells Fareed Zakaria that "We have not caved. We have not given in." In the pieces CNN has teased, he even says the company would still like for people to see this movie. Lynton claims that he personally did speak to senior officials in the White House about the situation, and asked for help in dealing with it, although they did not speak with Obama directly. Specifically, Lynton said that while the December 25th release will not proceed because there is no movie theater in America that will show it, there is still a possibility of premiering it in the future. In response to the question about releasing the movie in another format like streaming or on cable, Lynton said "we have considered those, and we are considering them...there has not been one major distributor, one major e-commerce site that has stepped forward." Really? Not even Crackle? [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
