The Sony hack attack is no longer just an issue within the entertainment industry. It is now political. Sony Pictures Entertainment folded to the hackers who threatened to punish cinemas that will release 'The Interview' movie. With more and more cinemas opting not to show James Franco-Seth Rogen film, Sony officially cancelled the controversial movie's release. It is also not sure yet when will it debut on the big screen.
For US President Barack Obama, he does not think Sony Pictures made the right move against the hackers. For him, it was a mistake that they pulled out The Interview.
"I wish they had spoken to me first," Obama said of Sony executives at a year-end news conference. "We cannot have a society in which some dictatorship someplace can start imposing censorship."
While some are siding with the US president with regards to the proper response to Sony hack attack suspects, the giant entertainment company insisted they did not give in to the demand of the hackers. They just 'preserved.'
"We have not caved. We have not given in. We have persevered," Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Michael Lynton told CNN's Fareed Zakaria in an interview that will air on "AC360″ on Sunday.
"Yes, I think they made a mistake," Obama said at a press conference, in response to a question about whether he agreed with Sony's decision.
"We can not have a society in which some dictator some place can start imposing censorship in the United States," he said.
The company also responded to Pres. Obama's comments regarding their decision to heed to Son Hackers call to cancel The Interview.
"Let us be clear - the only decision that we have made with respect to release of the film was not to release it on Christmas Day in theaters, after the theater owners declined to show it," the studio said.
"Without theaters, we could not release it in the theaters on Christmas Day. We had no choice.
"After that decision, we immediately began actively surveying alternatives to enable us to release the movie on a different platform. It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so."
