Terrorists Win: Sony Nixes “The Interview”

Posted by RiffYou On December 17, 2014 0 Comment

After major movie theatre chains across North America announced this week that they would no longer screen the controversial Seth Rogen and James Franco film, The Interview, comes word that Sony Pictures Entertainment has “decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release of it.”

The Interview, a film in which Rogen and Franco play journalists enlisted by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has been the subject of widespread critique from the country’s sympathizers, including the Guardians of Peace, an online hacker collective that’s been attempting to sway Sony from making his movie available.

By sway, we mean prematurely releasing Sony films, leaking confidential emails and documents attached to high-profile actors and executives, as well as threatening an attack not unlike 9/11 if the film were to be released.

“Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made,” said the group in a statement published by The Hollywood Reporter. “The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.) Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment. All the world will denounce the Sony.”

In a statement released today regarding the film being pulled completely, Sony barely acknowledged the supposed terror threat, seeming far more concerned about the leak of its intellectual property.

“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,” reads the statement issued by Sony. “We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theatregoers.

“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.”

It remains unclear if this movie will ever see the light of day once the threat-makers are neutralized and North Korea develops a sense of humour.

Right now you may be asking yourself why a story such as this is appearing on a music news site. Well, for one, this situation pisses us off because the movie looks damn good. Secondarily, it gives us an excuse to share this with you:

-Adam Grant