• Amy Pascal Stepping Down as Sony Co-Chair, Will Head In-House Venture

    Amy Pascal leaving Sony seemed pretty inevitable thanks to the hacking scandal that is still affecting the entertainment company on a daily basis. It was Pascal's slanderous emails being leaked, according to the "New York Times," that first clued everyone in to the fact that there had been a breach, and while her negative comments may have been typed in brief moments of frustration, they have done a real job on her reputation. It was confirmed today, Feb. 5, that Pascal would be stepping down as Sony co-chairman but remain with the company as the head of a new in-house venture.

  • 'Interview' Lawsuit: K-Pop Artists Threaten Legal Action After Songs Used in Movie

    Another layer of complexity has just been added to "The Interview," a Sony Pictures film that has permeated the news cycle for several weeks. This time, the company could face legal action from K-Pop artists Tiger JK and Yoon Mi Rae after the flick allegedly used their song without consent. "There were initial discussions about including the song in the film score, but negotiations stopped, so we were under the impression that it wasn't happening," FeelGhoodMusic said in a statement. "It was only after the film was released that we became aware of the song's unauthorized use, without taking the appropriate and necessary steps to complete a contract with the artists." THR reports roughly 10 to 15 seconds of the song appear in the movie. From NME: "The press release also noted the subject matter of the film — which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco and follows two American journalists recruited to kill Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea — stating, 'The artists were also hesitant about authorizing the use of the music, as the film is a very sensitive topic in Korea, so they are very surprised.'"

  • Sony Will Release 'The Interview' in Theaters, on VOD

    If you are one of the growing number of people who wanted to see "The Interview" simply to defy North Korea's attempt to block its distribution, then it looks like you are in luck. Sony is reportedly gearing up to announce that the film, which was canceled a few days ago, will see the light of day. The plan as of now is to release the film in participating theaters as well as through video on demand simultaneously. The list of distributors is expected to be released at some point today, with theaters in both Atlanta and Austin, Texas, already on board to show the film. Talks between Sony and Dish Network reportedly fell apart over the weekend, and other possible distributors have expressed concern over the possibility of also being hacked if they agreed to show the film.

  • Due to Pressure, Sony Will Eventually Release 'The Interview'

    It is kind of amazing how divided the United States is over racial issues, law enforcement and good ol' political agendas, but when a film studio gets hacked, it is fairly easy to get everyone on the same page — and quickly! Sony canceled everything in connection with its film "The Interview" last week, fearing that the group that has successfully hacked the company would make good on its threats of violence. Once it was confirmed that North Korea was responsible for the large security breech, the studio decided not to take any unnecessary risks and even the White House disagreed with the decision. First, Hollywood as a whole chimed in collectively, not wanting to feel like its business was being controlled by Kim Jong Un's regime. Then political leaders such as U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Newt Gingrich started rallying for the film's release. By this morning, Dec. 22, Sony started contemplating exactly what the best way to release "The Interview" might be. While the logical possibility was either video on demand or Netflix, some other companies might be more than a little skittish, fearing that they, too, will be hacked.

  • North Korea Speaks of 'Merciless Punishment' in New Threats Targeting the U.S.

    Back in 2008, North Korea was officially removed from the U.S.'s list of state sponsors of terrorism after spending two decades of being listed on it. Thanks to the fallout from the Sony hacking and due to the fact that the FBI has confirmed that it was indeed North Korea that was behind the huge breech in security, our government is now pondering whether or not to put the nation back onto that list.

  • 'The Interview' Has Been Shelved but Sony Leaks Keep Coming as Amy Pascal Slams Adam Sandler

    Sony may have decided to appease the Guardians of Peace and not let "The Interview" premiere on Christmas Day or any other day in the near future, but that does not mean the hackers are finished wreaking havoc on the studio. Instead, newly leaked emails keep coming which indicate that the GOP's actual agenda involves quite a bit more than just making sure that one film does not see the light of day. Once again, Amy Pascal and her opinions are under fire. This time around, the subject of her disdain is Adam Sandler, who wanted a huge chunk of cash for a movie version of the board game Candyland. According to the leaked emails, Sandler asked the studio for $200 million for that flick and he also rallied to have his co-producer on "Hotel Transylvania 2," Allen Covert, get an extra $100,000. "Adam is an a--hole and this is more his fault than anyone's but what we did was not communicate with each other and make assumptions," said Pascal, indicating that Sandler is not one of Sony's favorite people to deal with.

  • The FBI Officially Accuses North Korea of Successfully Hacking Sony

    Earlier this week the news broke that the FBI was reportedly linking North Korea to the high level hacking of Sony and this morning the government agency issued a full statement that officially points the finger at that country's government. Even while under the sharpest of microscopes, the hackers who refer to themselves as Guardians of Peace, again reached out to Sony officials, sending another email overnight that made it clear that they weren't the least bit intimidated even if their identity has been outed.

  • Sony Faces Backlash After Shelving 'The Interview' Amid Terror Threats

    It seems Sony has found itself in the kind of a situation that offers no easy solution. After weeks of being hacked and embarrassed on an international level, it has finally been confirmed by the U.S. government that North Korea is behind the cyber attack, and the effect has been all but crippling for the movie house. Ultimately, the hackers were working hard to scare Sony into shelving its comedy "The Interview," which was scheduled to hit theaters Christmas Day, and as of now their efforts have worked. The film, a comedy about taking out North Korea's Kim Jong Un, seems to have been put to rest permanently, and much of Hollywood seems furious about it. Aside from having to crawl out from the initial humiliation, not only of actually being hacked but then the mortification that the contents of various emails have been leaked, the company was left with a huge problem on its hands. Within the last week Seth Rogen and James Franco began canceling different media interviews that were intended to promote "The Interview," and as of yesterday both actors had been photographed with bodyguards. The stars connected to the project have feared for their own safety, so it makes sense Sony would proceed with extra caution.

  • NYC Premiere of 'The Interview' Canceled After 9/11-Type Threats; Homeland Security Investigates

    The Sony hacking scandal just keeps getting more complicated each day, and what seemingly began as a plot to embarrass some of the studio's top brass is really beginning to cut into business. "The Interview," slated for an official Christmas Day release and starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, is about a plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and this one film seems to be at the center of the turmoil. The hackers, officially dubbed as the shady Guardians of Peace, are going out of their way to scare the studio into shelving this film, and their tactics seem to be working. Rogen and Franco have canceled various promotional interviews in connection with "The Interview" and the film's official New York City premiere, slated for Thursday night, Dec. 18, has been canceled. Why the fear? Well, the GOP issued an ominous statement yesterday, saying in part: "Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. 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.)" The FBI has been pulled into the investigation, and it claims that there has been no chatter that leads them to believe that the direct threats against movie theaters are legitimate, but no one is taking any chances. So far, Carmike Cinemas and Los Angeles's ArcLight Cinemas have canceled screenings of the film. Homeland Security claims to be inching closer toward figuring out not only who is behind the threats, but also what part of the world they are coming from.
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