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Why North Korea's Sony hack made 'The Interview' required viewing
Congratulations, Guardians of Peace (and North Korea!) -- you've successfully prevented a "dangerous" Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy from getting released. But guess what? You've also made The Interview, which appeared to be just another slacker comedy from the Freaks and Geeks alums, vastly more important than it ever would have been on its own. That's what we in America call delicious irony. Sony, in a move President Barack Obama has called "a mistake," has vowed never to release the film in any form -- no VOD, no special digital download -- but it's only a matter of time until it's on every torrent and illegal video-streaming site on the web. And how long do you think it'll be until it makes its way into North Korea? You've won this battle, but you've also ignited a war against censorship that could end up dismantling your fascist control of information. Also, didn't you realize people always want what they can't have?
Engadget Daily: Sony postpones 'The Interview,' Gear VR review and more!
In case you hadn't heard, things are still going dreadfully south for Sony Pictures. In response to a new wave of threats from its GOP cyberattackers, the studio has been coerced to postpone its December 25th theatrical premiere of The Interview. Find all the deets, and more, in the gallery below. Enjoy.
US officials ID North Korea as source of Sony Pictures hack
According to CNN, NBC, and the New York Times, US officials will announce tomorrow that they've identified North Korea as the source behind a massive cyberattack against Sony Pictures. As a result of threats tied to the attack, Sony Pictures today cancelled the premiere of its upcoming movie The Interview. According to the sources, the government has decided North Korea was "centrally involved", even though the attack may have been launched using computers elsewhere, contrary to reports it may not have been related to that country at all. There's also no word on what, if any, response there will be to the attack. Sounds like a job for Simon.
Sony Pictures cancels 'The Interview' theatrical release (update)
Threats posted by the people behind the unprecedented hacking of Sony Pictures appear to have had the desired effect. The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter both state, based on anonymous sources, that the largest movie chains will not debut the movie next week. Carmike Cinemas said that it would not be showing the film, while the sources indicate they will be joined by AMC, Cinemark, Regal and Cineplex. In a statement to THR, Regal cited Sony Pictures' 'wavering support' for the film, as well as the threats, as the reason it decided to delay the film's opening. According to Variety, one possibility is to release the movie straight to video on-demand, but so far Sony Pictures has not commented publicly. Update: According to CNN's Pamela Brown, Sony Pictures has pulled the plug and will not premiere The Interview on December 25th as it originally planned. In a statement (included after the break), the company said "In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release." Meanwhile, another movie set in North Korea starring Steve Carell that was about to go into production has been cancelled. Update 2: According to media reports, the US government will publicly identify North Korea as the source of the cyberattacks. Update 3: According to the LA Times, Sony Pictures says it currently has no plans to release The Interview in any form, including straight to DVD/Blu-ray, VOD or subscription streaming.
Sony's hackers threaten people who go see 'The Interview'
The Guardians of Peace (they of the titanic Sony Pictures hack) showed off an almost benevolent side this weekend when it offered to withhold personal employee information should those victims object. Lest you start feeling pangs of empathy though, the group -- or someone purporting to be a member of the group -- issued a public threat that seems to target moviegoers and theaters that will run the James Franco/Seth Rogen comedy The Interview. "Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made," the note reads. "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." However sinister the group's message was, you should obviously take it with a grain of salt: The Department of Homeland Security told Mashable that there was "no credible intelligence" regarding an actual attack in the coming weeks.
Sony Pictures is worried that North Korea hacked its computers
If you've been intrigued by the hack that took down Sony Pictures' computers, you've probably wondered who the self-proclaimed culprits, the "Guardians of Peace," might be. Are they disgruntled employees? Social activists? According to Recode sources, Sony is worried that they're actually North Korean cyberwarriors. The company and its security consultants are "actively exploring" theories that an outfit in China breached the network on North Korea's behalf. Investigators haven't confirmed anything, but they also haven't ruled out the Korean link so far.
