In the first place, Sony Pictures was hacked. Documents, emails, passwords, social security numbers and other poorly guarded details were leaked. Then, it was reported that the attack had been organized by North Korea, and that the film The Interview was the main point of conflict. Afterwards, the hacker activity turned into a terrorist threat. Cinema chains began canceling screenings, and consequently, Sony decided to do the same with the film..
After processing and reviewing the news, one might think that there are days when censorship simply wins. But the truth is that this time censorship didn't win on its own "merit", but because much stronger feelings emerged, which modify behavior and change trends. Fear tops the list. The word "terrorism" has been burned into the collective psyche on the other side of the pond, even though terror used as a weapon has the ability to strike anywhere on the globe. The attack on Sony Pictures was assimilating the profile of just another hack, a cyber-operation against an American company like so many others. The media began to feast on the leaked information, which includes disputes among producers, directors, actors, and someone who called Angelina Jolie "a talentless spoiled brat".
However, the story would change tone quickly. The central issue is The Interview, a comedy starring Seth Rogen (Knocked Up, 50/50) and James Franco (Spider-Man, Oz, Rise of the Planet of the Apes). Its plot revolves around two reporters who are ordered to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, after having secured an interview with him. The Sony Pictures hack caused some of its films to leak online, but there was another message: "Stop the terrorism film". The connections to The Interview were immediate, and when the hackers played their last card last Tuesday ("The world will be filled with fear. Remember September 11."), the domino effect did the rest. Rogen and Franco canceled all their promotional appearances, the five major US cinema chains canceled scheduled screenings, and the only option for Sony was to follow suit. 44 million dollars went down the toilet.
Technically, The Interview was supposed to be released in European territory during January, while in the UK the date would be February 6. Authorities have not been able to confirm that the Sony attack originated in North Korea, and there is no evidence of a "real threat" to cinemas... but in the end, as I said above, fear made censorship win. At the same time, this will only strengthen the position of those who insist on total Internet regulation and greater data collection to "provide security". Personally, I think Sony must be wishing 2014 would end already... and perhaps it should consider putting the movie on BitTorrent in a few months.
