Amy Pascal is out of Sony Pictures

After the Sony hack drama and Amy Pascal's fall from grace, the co-chair has decided to quit. In a press release via HuffPo, Amy shed light to the change:

"I have spent almost my entire professional life at Sony Pictures and I am energized to be starting this new chapter based at the company I call home," Pascal said in a statement. "I have always wanted to be a producer. Michael [Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment] and I have been talking about this transition for quite some time and I am grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to pursue my long-held dream and for providing unparalleled support. As the slate for the next two years has come together, it felt like the right time to transition into this new role. I am so grateful to my team, some of whom I have worked with for the last 20 years and others who have joined more recently. I am leaving the studio in great hands. I am so proud of what we have all done together and I look forward to a whole lot more."

According to the release, Pascal has a four-year agreement with Sony, and she'll "retain all distribution rights worldwide to films financed." Her offices will be located on the Sony lot in Culver City, California.

"Amy's creativity, drive, and bold choices helped define SPE as a studio where talented individuals could take chances and push boundaries in order to deliver outstanding entertainment," Lynton said. "The studio's legacy is due in large part to Amy's passion for storytelling and love of this industry. I am delighted that Amy will be continuing her association with SPE through this new venture, which capitalizes on her extraordinary talents. In recent months, SPE faced some unprecedented challenges, and I am grateful for Amy's resilience and grace during this period. Amy has been a great partner to me in heading the studio and I am looking forward to a continued close working relationship with her in her new role on the lot."

Oh well, bye Amy.

President Obama said Sony "Made a Mistake" for pulling The Interview

President Obama put Sony on blast for pulling The Interview at his end-of-year news conference.

Buzzfeed reports:

“I think they made a mistake,” Obama said.

The president said he was “sympathetic to the concerns” at Sony after a massive hack exposed embarrassing internal emails and other corporate secrets. On Friday, the FBI said North Korea was responsible for the hack.
Despite the cyberattack, Obama said canceling the release of the film was caving to North Korean demands.
“We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States,” he said.
Sony pulled The Interview after threats of terrorist attacks at screenings of the film. Obama contrasted the move with the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, when the city decided to continue the annual event despite the terror threat.

“We can’t start changing our patterns of behavior any more than we stop going to football games because there might be the possibility of a terrorist attack,” he said.
Obama also poked fun at the North Korean government for its reaction to The Interview.
“I think it says something interesting about North Korea that they decided to have the state mount an all-out assault on a movie studio because of a satirical movie,” he said. “The notion that that was a threat to them, I think, gives you some sense of the kind of regime we’re talking about here.”

The president is right.

Sony Hackers brag about their Success

These hackers are really rubbing it in. CNN received a message from them, cheering their success in canceling the film, The Interview.

HuffPo report:

"It's very wise that you have made a decision to cancel the release of 'The Interview,'" the message said, according to CNN. "We ensure the security of your data unless you make additional trouble."

Somebody, please catch these folks.

Sony pulls 'The Interview' due to Empty Threats

More drama from the Sony Hack.

We now know that the hack was supported by some freaks in North Korea. And, they or someone  threatened to attack the theaters that will play the film, "The Interview".

In a lot of ways this sounds so silly and stupid, but Sony is afraid and they have pulled the film from release.

Here's their statement:

"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."

This is stupid. I understand, but they are basically letting the hackers win.