On Nov. 24, 2014, Sony Pictures was hacked after major controversy over Seth Rogan’s new movie, The Interview. Although there is still no exact culprit, most of the blame has gone to North Korea, and the hacker group #GOP (Guardians of Peace).
The attack on Sony was fueled by their release of The Interview, a movie that depicts the assassination of the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un. According to the #GOP, they had given Sony a warning that if Sony released the movie, the #GOP would attack them.
After the cyber attack, Sony pulled the movie from all theaters in fear that the #GOP would carry out their threat to attack all theaters that premiered the movie. According to a Dec. 16 article in “The Guardian,” the #GOP directly stated the following in an email:
1.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.
2. Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made.
3. The world will be full of fear.
4. Remember the 11th of September 2001.
5.We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time.
6. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)
7. Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
8. All the world will denounce the Sony.
The hacker group, along with various other things, also claimed, “we’ve obtained all your internal data” and warned that if Sony refused to obey, they would release all of their top secrets. Among the “internal data” was the previously un-premiered movie Annie.
Sony, in fear of more harm coming to their company, pulled The Interview from all theaters. Many people disapproved of Sony’s decision, including President Barack Obama. He criticized the company’s “cowardly” decision, claiming that their pulling of the movie was a mistake.
However, after much dispute, the company made their final decision to release the movie in select theaters, on YouTube, and the iTunes store for purchase and rental. The movie also premiered on Christmas Day as scheduled. The Interview was shown in only 331 movie theaters, but on its first day, made $2.8 million dollars in theaters, and $15 million online.