TLK

This isn't a first amendment issue. The movie is an intellectual property that belongs to Sony by law. They can do with it whatever they want to.

All distributors/exhibitors are chickenshit as they should be. They are in the business to make money and not to make statements. Regardless of whether NK has any ability to attack any theaters, the hackers have shown their ability to practically take down a major corporation. How can a responsible CEO of a major corporation allow his company to become a target of the hackers ? How many of these internet bravehearts will even show up for a screening of Team America, a movie that they already torrented for free back in 2008 ? Yeah, that $2000 in box office receipts was totally worth the $100 million damages we suffered because of hacking. Best of luck trying to explain this to the major stockholders and the governing board.

I'm pretty sure now that MJ1 will make around $340 million. It will still be in 2000 theaters on Christmas day and the competition is weak.

So this movie was more than an innocent stupid comedy. State Department officials thought that assassinating Kim Jong-Un would serve as a useful propaganda against the North Korean regime. No wonder Sony is now panicking and pulled the movie. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/17/exclusive-sony-emails-allege-u-s-govt-official-ok-d-controversial-ending-to-the-interview.html The Daily Beast has unearthed several emails that reveal at least two U.S. government officials screened a rough cut of the Kim Jong-Un assassination comedy The Interview in late June and gave the film—including a final scene that sees the dictator’s head explode—their blessing. The claim that the State Department played an active role in the decision to include the film’s gruesome death scene is likely to cause fury in Pyongyang. Emails between the Sony Entertainment CEO and a security consultant even appear to suggest the U.S. government may support the notion that The Interview would be useful propaganda against the North Korean regime. ....... He added, “In fact, when I have briefed my book on ‘preparing for the possibility of a North Korean collapse’ [sept 2013], I have been clear that the assassination of Kim Jong-Un is the most likely path to a collapse of the North Korean government. Thus while toning down the ending may reduce the North Korean response, I believe that a story that talks about the removal of the Kim family regime and the creation of a new government by the North Korean people (well, at least the elites) will start some real thinking in South Korea and, I believe, in the North once the DVD leaks into the North (which it almost certainly will). So from a personal perspective, I would personally prefer to leave the ending alone.” That same day, Lynton responded saying that a U.S. government official completely backed Bennett’s assessment of the film. “Bruce – Spoke to someone very senior in State (confidentially),” wrote Lynton. “He agreed with everything you have been saying. Everything. I will fill you in when we speak.”

Fox was supposed to distribute Steve Carell's North Korea movie but they declined to distribute it after Sony hacking. New Regency pulled the plug on the movie earlier today. You guys are kidding yourself if you think this is a Sony-only problem. Sony has been very badly damaged and as of now they are just trying to stay afloat. The movie was dead as soon as North Korean link was established. https://deadline.com/2014/12/gore-verbinski-north-korea-steve-carell-film-cancellation-1201328823/

Sony got no support from either the movie industry or the exhibitors. They did what they had to.

The movie has been made and people will eventually see it. North Korea wins because no other studio will touch a movie about North Korea with a 10 ft pole any time soon.

The hackers asked for ransom so it is obvious that they aren't North Koreans. Besides, for all of its bluster North Korea is always narrowly focused on their geographical region. They don't really give a lot of fucks about what goes on in Europe and US.

Jordan Hoffman ‏@jhoffman 28s28 seconds ago What we're witnessing is what happens when corporations and lawyers run the country. There's no fear of violence, but of economic havoc.

This is an exceptional case. Sony has been badly bloodied and they don't want additional lawsuits if anything goes wrong. This is a purely financial decision. They are taking the loss to prevent potentially bigger losses.

Pascal was going to be fired either way but the hack means that Sony will nuke the entire SPE leadership and reboot with new people. I think there is a 20-25% chance that the studio itself won't survive if the lawsuits (and they are coming) go out of hand.

I think a number of International events have merged together to create this situation. Sydney hostage incident, terrorists shooting over 100 school kids in Pakistan and now threats against theaters have people spooked. There is no connection obviously but no one wants to see violence at a theater on the Christmas day. Deadline quoted an anonymous movie executive as saying that Sony should pull the movie so it doesn't look like they are getting a lot of support from inside the industry either. This is just a fucked up situation for a studio to be in. They can't win this.

I think we have finally reached the point where either the terrorists win or Seth Rogen wins. Choose your side wisely because there will be ugly repercussions either way.

I don't think these are North Koreans. My guess is that since the hack is so personal the hackers are ex-employees or contractors who worked for Sony and feel they got fucked over by the studio. They asked for ransom even before the hacking took place. Now both sides are using North Korea to deflect attention. The hackers are trying to save their ass and Sony is doing this to play the victim of big, bad Kim Jong-Un.

There are liability issues. If there are threats and something happens then Sony and the theaters will be liable for damages. I don't think they will pull the movie but they have to take the threats seriously even if they are BS.

This has nothing to do with bowing down. When you are running a business then the cost-benefit analysis is important. If The Interview does well it may make over $500 million but was it worth all the headache and the losses they will suffer ? Hell No. This hack has the potential to take down a movie studio. Reuters estimated a loss in excess of $100 million last week but there is also a good chance that they are going to get sued by the affected parties for hundreds of millions more.

They weren't cowardly enough if you ask me. Why would a business fuck with a country like North Korea ? What benefit do you get from such a confrontation ? Do you think Disney is going to pick a fight with North Korea or China ? I didn't think so.

This is easily the best trailer I have seen all year. Terrence Malick.

Sony better hope that this movie is the next Avatar because it looks like the hack may cost them in excess of $100 million. I am 95% sure that a year from now Sony will have an entirely new management team and all of their executives will be gone. How do you work in Hollywood after trashing DiCaprio, Pitt, Jolie, Hart and pretty much everyone else who matters ? And there is no way in hell that a studio will make a movie trashing North Korea ever again.

The original cut was supposed to be 4 hour in this case as well so it is possible. I will never understand why directors end up with 4 hour cuts when they know that no studio is ever going to release a 4 hour tentpole movie.

http://www.variety.com/2014/film/news/harrison-ford-loves-blade-runner-2-script-1201378743/ Ridley Scott: ‘Blade Runner’ Sequel Is Best Script Harrison Ford Has ‘Ever Read’ “I sent him this (script) and he said, ‘Wow, this is the best thing I’ve ever read,’ so it’s very relevant to what happened (in) the first one,” Scott told MTV News. “I’m not just doing a sequel with lots of action and see how far we can go with the special effects because you can’t really. ‘Blade Runner’ kind of landed on a somehow very credible future. And it’s very difficult to change that because it’s been so influential with everything else.”

Not a great opening for Exodus but it can still make $90-100 million domestically and another $250 million from overseas markets.

The two week rule is why studios don't release movies this weekend. You get upto a dozen new releases and Oscar movie expansions between December 18th and 25th so basically any movie released this weekend will lose a lot of theaters in two weeks time unless it becomes a big hit. It is just too risky for studios to release a big budget movie when you are guaranteed to lose a shitload of theaters in 14-21 days and not have good legs.

What about Ejogo ? She is playing Coretta Scott King and a role like that can easily win if she is good enough.

Most awards movies are over-rated as fuck. IMO, No Country For Old Men is the last truly great Best Picture winner. Everything else since then has been underwhelming.