Seth Rogen and James Franco’s new movie ‘The Interview’ will no longer be released this month.
Sony Pictures Entertainment has cancelled the film’s planned release in the US after several cinema chains refused to screen the movie, which is about an assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, after being threatened by Guardians of Peace hackers.
In a statement, the studio 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. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theatre-goers.
"Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale – all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like. We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome."
Meanwhile, American intelligence officials have concluded that the North Korean government was "centrally involved" in the recent cyber attacks against Sony, which saw the hackers release confidential information about several upcoming projects and leaked offensive emails between top producers.
Seth Rogen’s ‘The Interview’ axed
