Sony Pictures Pulls “The Interview” From Theaters

[IamCANADIAN013]

Looks like Anonymous will be releasing the movie as a sort of Christmas gift, LOL! What a disaster for Sony.  Sony Pictures was helping keep Sony afloat as they've been losing billions. Gotta wonder where Sony goes from here.  The damage from all this will be interesting to watch play out.

http://uproxx.com/movies/2014/12/anonymous-north-korea-plan-release-the-interview/

"It was only a matter of time before the hacker collective Anonymous put their two cents in regarding the Sony hack. Early on Friday, one of Anon’s many Twitter accounts set their sights on North Korea, the hacker group known as #GOP (aka Guardians of Peace) and Sony Pictures regarding the decision to pull The Interview from theaters. From the looks of things, they are planning on releasing the movie to the world themselves. From Twitter:"

There are a bunch of twitter comments in the link from anonymous bashing Sony, LOL!

There are suggestions that the movie halls didn't want to screen it and Sony took the flak for acceding to their request and not releasing the film.

Yeah I heard that they were afraid there were going to get sued if anyone one got hurt Like the aurora shooting in Colorado a couple years back.

Considering it America, I could see a few whack jobs using it as an excuse to shoot up a bunch of theaters.

[AllTheBitz]

People will find excuses to shoot up a place anyway really.

[malaimult]

Looks like Anonymous will be releasing the movie as a sort of Christmas gift, LOL! What a disaster for Sony.  Sony Pictures was helping keep Sony afloat as they've been losing billions. Gotta wonder where Sony goes from here.  The damage from all this will be interesting to watch play out.

http://uproxx.com/movies/2014/12/anonymous-north-korea-plan-release-the-interview/

I don't think this would be a disaster for Sony. I don't think Anonymous would release the interview if sony releases in on or around xmas online (which they may or may not do).

[freedomno1]

Looks like Anonymous will be releasing the movie as a sort of Christmas gift, LOL! What a disaster for Sony.  Sony Pictures was helping keep Sony afloat as they've been losing billions. Gotta wonder where Sony goes from here.  The damage from all this will be interesting to watch play out.

http://uproxx.com/movies/2014/12/anonymous-north-korea-plan-release-the-interview/

I don't think this would be a disaster for Sony. I don't think Anonymous would release the interview if sony releases in on or around xmas online (which they may or may not do).

Well it seems like anon would release it but wait on Sonys part to see if they do or not
For a few days at least while the executives there discuss options.

[cryptocoiner]

The decision was the depressing climax to a weeks-long nightmare after Sony Pictures Entertainment suffered on Nov. 24 a massive and unprecedented hack of roughly 100TB of embarrassing, sensitive, and confidential data. On Monday, the group claiming responsibility for the hack, who call themselves Guardians of Peace, threatened theaters that plan on showing the film The Interview — which depicts the assassination of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un. “We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places ‘The Interview’ be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to,” the group said in a statement. “Remember the 11th of September 2001.”

I'm disappointed to see them cave over some obviously empty threats.  Score one for terrorism.

North Korea stronk!

[DodoB]

Nice PR stunt Sony. the whole thing is fabricated.

[Aemon]

Nice PR stunt Sony. the whole thing is fabricated.

Hmm, have you read anything about this?  The whole thing is not fabricated, you think North Korea would be in on this as well? 

Do you think Sony enjoys losing hundreds of millions of dollars?

[Mr Crabs]

Nice PR stunt Sony. the whole thing is fabricated.

Hmm, have you read anything about this?  The whole thing is not fabricated, you think North Korea would be in on this as well? 

Do you think Sony enjoys losing hundreds of millions of dollars?

I don't think it's a PR stunt but it might not have anything to do with North Korea. Just seems a little too convenient. And have Anonymous provided proof that they have the film? I actually really want to see it.

[Aemon]

I don't think it's a PR stunt but it might not have anything to do with North Korea. Just seems a little too convenient. And have Anonymous provided proof that they have the film? I actually really want to see it.

North Korea keeps responding about it, so I am guessing it has something to do with them.

As far as a release Sony announced just recently they will be releasing it via steam for 100% free.  How this is a PR stunt, is beyond me, Sony losing millions upon millions of dollars and releasing the movie for free, yeah doesn't sound like a PR move.

[Pierre11]

They've said it will be released!

It was all a plot to get a bigger audience..

[Aemon]

I simply don't get it why everyone is calling this a PR stunt.
Results of the "PR stunt" so far:
- lots of financial damage
- a huge amount of private and confidential of the company/employees data floating around on the net
- 5 DVD screener copies leaked
All of this hassle just for 1 movie that will be pirated anyway (if not more than others)?

They are simply not informed people that are calling it a PR stunt.

All great points but your last one, this will probably be the LEAST pirated movie in history.

Sony is releasing it for 100% free so there is absolutely no reason to pirate this movie at all.

http://nypost.com/2014/12/21/sony-plans-to-release-the-interview-on-crackle-for-free/

[IamCANADIAN013]

I simply don't get it why everyone is calling this a PR stunt.
Results of the "PR stunt" so far:
- lots of financial damage
- a huge amount of private and confidential of the company/employees data floating around on the net
- 5 DVD screener copies leaked
All of this hassle just for 1 movie that will be pirated anyway (if not more than others)?

They are simply not informed people that are calling it a PR stunt.

All great points but your last one, this will probably be the LEAST pirated movie in history.

Sony is releasing it for 100% free so there is absolutely no reason to pirate this movie at all.

http://nypost.com/2014/12/21/sony-plans-to-release-the-interview-on-crackle-for-free/

By the looks of it, Sony is trying to release it before anonymous does.  Guess this way, Sony will figure they might get people using their service, which will likely bring in ad revenue. Also, I imagine many will still choose to pirate the movie, instead of using the Sony site. I'd rather download it, put on a usb stick, and watch it on my TV.

[malaimult]

I simply don't get it why everyone is calling this a PR stunt.
Results of the "PR stunt" so far:
- lots of financial damage
- a huge amount of private and confidential of the company/employees data floating around on the net
- 5 DVD screener copies leaked
All of this hassle just for 1 movie that will be pirated anyway (if not more than others)?

At this point it is certainly not a PR move. It would have been more believable early when sony was first reported being hacked, as the leaked information could have been faked, they could have given up a not-yet-released movie in order to drum up extra anticipation/hype about this one, however at this point the employee information appears to be real, and they are not going to be faking a terrorist threat

[Gronthaing]

As I said in https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=666307.msg9884609#msg9884609 this might just be a marketing move. With the attention the hack got, no matter who did it, build up even more attention, then release the movie some time later. That or those 100TB contain something Sony wants to keep secret at all costs.

I highly doubt it is a marketing move.  The hackers made off with a tonne of information from Sony, some of it highly personal and sensitive.  They have halted tours of their studios, and Sony employees have filed a class action lawsuit against them for leaking the data. They've also lost a ton of brand power, productivity, and reputation over this. I'm sure lots of people have lost theirs jobs as well. 

If it is a marketing move, it's a highly risky one.  Sony has a lot more to lose over this than gain.  Pisses me off, I was looking forward to seeing it.  They filmed much of it in Vancouver.

I didn't mean that they faked the hack, only that not releasing the movie might be a publicity stunt. Trying to make the best of the situation. But as you and others said, even doing that cost them and cinema chains a lot of reputation, so that doesn't seem the case. But I doubt North Korea was behind this. Too much of a convenient scapegoat.

[IamCANADIAN013]

As I said in https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=666307.msg9884609#msg9884609 this might just be a marketing move. With the attention the hack got, no matter who did it, build up even more attention, then release the movie some time later. That or those 100TB contain something Sony wants to keep secret at all costs.

I highly doubt it is a marketing move.  The hackers made off with a tonne of information from Sony, some of it highly personal and sensitive.  They have halted tours of their studios, and Sony employees have filed a class action lawsuit against them for leaking the data. They've also lost a ton of brand power, productivity, and reputation over this. I'm sure lots of people have lost theirs jobs as well.  

If it is a marketing move, it's a highly risky one.  Sony has a lot more to lose over this than gain.  Pisses me off, I was looking forward to seeing it.  They filmed much of it in Vancouver.

I didn't mean that they faked the hack, only that not releasing the movie might be a publicity stunt. Trying to make the best of the situation. But as you and others said, even doing that cost them and cinema chains a lot of reputation, so that doesn't seem the case. But I doubt North Korea was behind this. Too much of a convenient scapegoat.

Yeah, I don't see North Korea being behind it, easy target for blame from the USA though.

Also, it looks like Sony will be releasing the movie in theaters Christmas day.

In a bizarre twist ... Sony has done an about face and it's green-lighting "The Interview" for theaters to run on XMAS day.

The CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema tells TMZ  .... Sony called Monday and said a copy of the film would be delivered Wednesday. The CEO -- was vague about extra security, but says it will run in more than 20 theaters, located in Texas, Colorado, Virginia, New York and more.

An Atlanta theater owner says he got a similar call and he plans on running it as well.

The Alamo group plans to make it a celebration, with margaritas ... which will probably make the movie better.

Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2014/12/23/sony-releasing-the-interview-christmas-day-theaters/

Personally, I don't really care to see it. Not at theater prices anyway.  Is/was it all a publicity stunt? I don't really know anymore, but I think the damage has already been done.  Guess we will see what kind of interest they get for the movie in a few days.

[pitham1]

I didn't mean that they faked the hack, only that not releasing the movie might be a publicity stunt. Trying to make the best of the situation. But as you and others said, even doing that cost them and cinema chains a lot of reputation, so that doesn't seem the case. But I doubt North Korea was behind this. Too much of a convenient scapegoat.

The retaliation seems to be at North Korea. Internet was down for quite some time in Korea.

[Lethn]

I didn't mean that they faked the hack, only that not releasing the movie might be a publicity stunt. Trying to make the best of the situation. But as you and others said, even doing that cost them and cinema chains a lot of reputation, so that doesn't seem the case. But I doubt North Korea was behind this. Too much of a convenient scapegoat.

The retaliation seems to be at North Korea. Internet was down for quite some time in Korea.

People are conveniently forgetting that piratebay fooled people into thinking their servers were in North Korea at one point, I.P addresses are extremely unreliable evidence because they can changed at a whim.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030073/the-pirate-bay-admits-to-north-korean-hosting-hoax.html

Hell, just by buying a VPN I can make it look like I'm in Russia or Afghanistan and I'm not even a hacker! if hackers can make it look like they're from North Korea. What's to say it really is North Korea, it's wishful thinking from cold war fanatics who don't want things to end.

Oh and we all know how reliable intelligence agencies are when it comes to this kind of bullshit, considering they so certainly said it was all Saddam Hussein's fault 9/11 happened and they were 100% sure he had nuclear weaponry.

[Voidlord]

I've personally been against this movie all along (even before the Sony hack and such) and I'm glad they stopped showing it. There is a very obvious difference between parody movies (think Team America World Police) and a thinly veiled realistic threat that the US is going to use the media to assassinate the leader of North Korea. I wasn't worried about hurting Kim Jong Un's feelings, I was worried that the movie would make him more paranoid and it would put Americans or suspected Americans in danger.

Am I against freedom of expression? No, but I think there is a major double standard here. That and North Korea doesn't need any more reasons somewhat fictional or not, to suspect the US of an assassination attempt against Kim.

Yep, if NK always barks he never bites, but there are lot of south korean soldiers at the borders who wants to have a calm christmas, i see the release/non-relase of this movie as a disguised response to Kim's barking.

Kim jong ill very ill.

[edmonddantes]

and now sony is doing Ddos attack on file sharing websites,to get there files which were hacked!

[jaysabi]

I didn't mean that they faked the hack, only that not releasing the movie might be a publicity stunt. Trying to make the best of the situation. But as you and others said, even doing that cost them and cinema chains a lot of reputation, so that doesn't seem the case. But I doubt North Korea was behind this. Too much of a convenient scapegoat.

The retaliation seems to be at North Korea. Internet was down for quite some time in Korea.

People are conveniently forgetting that piratebay fooled people into thinking their servers were in North Korea at one point, I.P addresses are extremely unreliable evidence because they can changed at a whim.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030073/the-pirate-bay-admits-to-north-korean-hosting-hoax.html

Hell, just by buying a VPN I can make it look like I'm in Russia or Afghanistan and I'm not even a hacker! if hackers can make it look like they're from North Korea. What's to say it really is North Korea, it's wishful thinking from cold war fanatics who don't want things to end.

Oh and we all know how reliable intelligence agencies are when it comes to this kind of bullshit, considering they so certainly said it was all Saddam Hussein's fault 9/11 happened and they were 100% sure he had nuclear weaponry.

I agree with you. It's hard to take anything the government says seriously anymore. Credibility is a precious commodity, and once squandered, hard to regain.

On the other hand, the shoe fits on this one. I believe it was NK, but not because the US gov says so.