The studio has told invited media that there will be no coverage at the premiere of the Seth Rogen and James Franco-starrer, and only photographers are allowed to be on red carpet.
- Dec 11, 2014
AceShowbiz - Sony Pictures says there will be no coverage at the upcoming premiere for "The Interview" on Thursday, December 11. The studio explained on Wednesday that only photographers and Sony staff would be allowed at the red carpet event set to take place at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. No interviews will be granted at the event.
The coverage restriction takes place about two weeks after Sony fell victim to a massive hacking by a group which called themselves Guardians of Peace. Sensitive data about their former and current employees, files of unreleased movies, emails on executives' inbox and other info were released to public following the cyber-attack.
Joseph Demarest, assistant director of the FBI's cyberdivision, told members of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee on Wednesday that the "level of sophistication" of the attack on Sony was "extremely high, and we can tell based on our investigative efforts to date, organized and certainly persistent," Variety reports.
"The malware that was used would have slipped, probably would have gotten past 90|percent| of the net defenses that are out there today in private industry, and I would challenge to even say government," he explained.
"The Interview" starring James Franco and Seth Rogen tells the story of two journalists who are told by the CIA to assassinate North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un when they go to Pyongyang for an interview. The country has been linked to the hacking, but they denied their involvement.
According to a new report by THR, "The Interview" will not be released in Asia. The decision reportedly was taken before the security took place. "It was never going to be released in Japan. Like some of those R-rated Adam Sandler comedies that go down very well in the States, they don't work here and don't get released," said a source at Sony Japan headquarter.
The comedy, also starring Lizzy Caplan and Randall Park, opens in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day.
