Sony Pictures cancels Dec. 25th film release of The Interview. US ready to blame North Korea for hack.

After major movie theater chains in the US made their decision yesterday and today to not show the film The Interview due to threats from hackers, Sony Pictures decided to cancel altogether the upcoming movie debut.

Yesterday, the people responsible for the hacking threatened with attacks at cinemas that show The Interview. That seems to have convinced theater chains to not show the comedy film in more than half of all cinemas around the US.

According to U.S. law enforcement sources, investigators were able to determine hackers working for North Korea were behind the cyber attack at Sony Pictures. In the comedy film, a TV host is hired to assassinate North Korea dictator Kim Jong-Un.

The hackers released private information, including films, internal documents, and email, containing private data such as social security number, contact numbers, salaries, and more.

“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.),” says a message by hackers.

Sony Pictures released a statement today:

“In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.

Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale – all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like. We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.”

Update: CNN: “Sony Pictures has no further release plans” for “The Interview,” a company spokesperson tells CNN’s Brian Stelter.

[Sources]: Variety: Sony Cancels Theatrical Release for ‘The Interview’ on Christmas; CNN. U.S. is set to blame N.Korea for the Sony hack.