Sony Cancels ‘The Interview’ Release Following Terrorist Threats

The poster for The Interview starring James Franco and Seth Rogen (detail).

 

A slew of problems have hit Sony these past few weeks. From having employee information stolen, future studio releases unveiled, to embarrassing private emails containing racism and hate, Sony has been the victim of a hacker organization calling themselves the Guardians of Peace.

At the center of the scandal is the film, The Interview, a comedy about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jung-un. But the cyberattack, reportedly carried out by a North Korean organization, or at least supporters of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), escalated to terrorist threats when the Guardians of Peace released a message warning “the world will be full of fear,” referencing the September 11 attacks, if the movie was to be released or shown in theaters. North America’s largest cinema chains have subsequently cancelled their showings of the film, and Sony followed suit by postponing its release altogether, reports the BBC.

Comedian and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel voiced his opinion on twitter and called out theaters’ decision not to screen the movie “an un-American act of cowardice that validates terrorist actions and sets a terrifying precedent.”

The Interview cost roughly $42 million to produce—not nearly as much as other big budget action films, such as The Hunger Games or any of the Marvel flicks, but still a large sum for any comedy movie.

View the trailer for The Interview here.


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