It’s all fun and games until you poke fun at Kim Jong-un, apparently.
Undoubtedly the scariest development to happen in the wake of the Sony hacks yet, the major film company has decided to completely pull the plug on the National Christmas release of the upcoming satirical comedy “The Interview”. The film was about a satirical talk show host and his EP being approached by the CIA to assassinate Kim Jong-un during an invited stay by the dictator.
Circumstantial convenience and Federal Intelligence seems to indicate that the North Korean regime was behind the hacks on Sony, that their hackers were the ones issuing mass murder threats to major cinema chains that were planning on showing The Interview. Reportedly, the threats explicitly reminded people of the attacks of September 11th 2001.
After major cinemas started cancelling showings for safety concerns, Sony itself decided to cancel the release of the film altogether.
“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,” the company said in a statement. “We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.”
The company added “we are deeply saddened by this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie”, that it stands by the filmmakers and “their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.”
Listen to what I say, don’t watch what I do, I suppose.
Indeed many in Hollywood are being critical of Sony for caving on The Interview, including Jimmy Kimmel on his late night talk show and Rob Lowe, who tweeted “Everyone caved. The Hackers won. An utter and complete victory for them. Wow.”
Seth Rogan and James Franco have cancelled all press and promotional events related to the film.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, there isn’t any credible intelligence behind the hacker’s mass murder threats. While Sony’s and the cinemas’ decision to pull the film is understandable, it’s not a good development for Hollywood and it’s only going to encourage more cyber terrorism like this in the feature.
Threats are the favorite tactics of bullies and bullies are the biggest cowards. We must not shy away from deploying humor against the corrupt of those who abuse power. Horace knew that, Aristotle knew that, Chaucer knew that, Dryden knew that, Jonathan Swift knew that, Mark Twain knew that, and plenty of more familiar contemporaries like Chaplin, Carlin and Heller knew that.
Besides, now I only want to see The Interview even more.
Source: ABC News