Sony hack: No more North Korean bad guys? Or Russian? Or ...?
[Update: This story has been updated to include the news that Paramount has canceled screenings of "Team America: World Police."]
Sony Picture Entertainment鈥檚 decision to cancel the release of 鈥淭he Interview鈥� has come under harsh criticism from Hollywood celebrities and media law experts alike, many of whom have castigated the studio for capitulating to the demands of North Korea-linked hackers.
Sony鈥檚 announcement came Wednesday after all the largest theater chains in the United States said they would not show the film 鈥� a far-fetched comedy about the assassination of North Korea鈥檚 Kim Jong-un 鈥� for fear of terrorist threats from the hacking group called聽Guardians of Peace.
Critics argue that Sony鈥檚 decision sets a dangerous precedent for the movie industry, where recent financial pressures have made studios exceedingly risk averse. Its subsequent chilling effect has already led to the cancellation of another film about North Korea that was set to star Steve Carell. And experts worry that more movies about sensitive topics, under pressure from indignant hackers or a wave of self-censorship, could follow.
On Thursday, Paramount Pictures ordered at least three movie theaters to cancel their planned screenings of 鈥淭eam America: World Police.鈥� Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Texas, for example, had planned to show the satirical film 鈥� which depicts former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as a cartoonish villain 鈥� after Sony canceled the release of 鈥淭he Interview.鈥� Spoiler: Kim Jong-il doesn鈥檛 die in 鈥淭eam America.鈥�
鈥淚t does raise concerns over the ability of individuals with unknown capabilities to chill freedom of speech in the United States by making threats that may or may not have any basis in reality,鈥� says Jeff Hermes, a deputy director at the Media Law Resource Center in New York. 鈥淭he disturbing thing around this or any terrorist threat is that they鈥檙e intended to generate fear irrespective of whether or not the fear is rational.鈥�
That fear came to a boiling point earlier this week when聽Guardians of Peace聽warned that 鈥渢he world will be full of fear鈥� if 鈥淭he Interview鈥� was released as planned on Christmas. It threatened attacks on theaters showing the film, leading the companies to pull it from their screens.
鈥淩emember the 11th of September 2001,鈥� the group said in a message delivered to computers at Sony鈥檚 office. 鈥淲e recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time.鈥�
Mr. Hermes calls the attack 鈥渨ell executed in a scary way.鈥� He says the initial breach of Sony computers 鈥� one of the most destructive cyber attacks seen on American soil 鈥� might have earned the hackers enough credibility for their threat of violence to be taken seriously.
On Thursday, US intelligence officials said that North Korea was 鈥渃entrally involved鈥� in the computer hacking and the threats that followed. But despite that, officials told The New York Times that it was .
Hermes says the decision to not show the film was 鈥渟hortsighted,鈥� if rational when looked at from a short-term business perspective.
鈥淚s it worth frightening people who are going to movies theaters to perhaps see other films?鈥� he asks, especially during the busy holiday season. 鈥淚f you look at it from that narrow perspective, you can see why a movie theater may say it鈥檚 not worth it. But these decisions made in the moment do wind up having wider consequences.鈥�
Concerns about those wider consequences were echoed across Hollywood, where celebrities took to social media to express their outrage over Sony鈥檚 decision. Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel described it as 鈥� that validates terrorist actions and sets a terrifying precedent.鈥�
Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore .
鈥淒ear Sony Hackers,鈥� he said, 鈥渘ow that u run Hollywood, I'd also like less romantic comedies, fewer Michael Bay movies and no more Transformers.鈥�
