“Disgraceful,” “un-American act of cowardice” and “sad day for creative expression” are among the responses in Hollywood to the news that Sony Pictures has pulled “The Interview” from its scheduled release.
Sony says its decision comes after a majority of theaters canceled planned showings, adding: “We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.”
It’s the latest turn in a story that began last month when hackers crippled Sony’s internal network and made off with massive amounts of data from the company, including five Sony films, four of them unreleased, and emails from the company’s executives.
U.S. intelligence officials now believe with “99 percent certainty” that the North Korean government is behind the attack.
“The Interview” stars James Franco as the host of a late-night talk show and Seth Rogen as his buddy and the talk show’s producer. They score an interview with North Korea’s secretive ruler, Kim Jong-un. In a plot twist, the CIA ask the duo to assassinate Kim while they are in North Korea interviewing him.
The decision by Sony and theater chains to shelve the film has experts worried that other companies will be vulnerable to similar hacking and pressure. Cybersecurity expert Peter Singer told The Wall Street Journal, “This is now a case study that is signaling to attackers that you can get all that you want and even more.”
Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson discusses the implications with Derek Thompson of The Atlantic.
Guest
- Derek Thompson, senior editor at The Atlantic. He tweets @DKThomp.
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