Sony Pictures scrapped its upcoming movie The Interview. This after a damaging cyber attack on the corporation in the past few weeks. Hackers — presumably on North Korea’s authority — stole sensitive financial and personal records and have been leaking them to the public in retaliation to the comedy film which pokes fun of their Dear Leader.
After major theater chains refused to show the movie, Sony canceled the picture entirely. Word is they did this in order to collect insurance money rather than release the film on VOD.
This sets an uneasy precedent in Hollywood, that foreign terrorists can suppress free speech *in* the United States. How sad to see Sony fold like a beach umbrella.
Ripple effects are already being felt in the entertainment industry, as a Steve Carell project also set in North Korea and about to start filming has been put into hasty turnaround. The Interview may be a stoner comedy filled with dick jokes, but because of the controversy surrounding the film it may also be the most important movie of 2014.
For a rundown of the various aspects at play, here are a few choice articles.
The Los Angeles Times: Fallout from Sony Hack May Alter How Hollywood Conducts Business
The New York Times: The Sony Hack and the Yellow Press
Variety: Sony Cancels Theatrical Release for ‘The Interview’
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