Hackers issued a new threat to Sony in the wake of the cancelation of “The Interview,” TheWrap has learned.
Several Sony employees received an email that appeared to come from the so-called “Guardians of Peace,” and the person who called himself the head of #GOP, an individual with knowledge of the email told TheWrap.
Here is the message:
“Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy.”
“we still have your private and sensitive data” and claims that they will “ensure the security of your data unless you make additional trouble.”“And we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately.”
Three weeks after a paralyzing hacking attack on the studio brought the company to its knees, Sony is taking widespread criticism for canceling the release of “The Interview” in theaters, and pulling the theater from any distribution at all.
“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,” the studio said in a statement to TheWrap on Wednesday. “We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.”
Now it appears the hackers, believed to be North Korea, are also demanding that the studio remove trailers for the film.
On CNN Friday morning, Stelter reported: “They got what they wanted initially, and now they are going a step further.”
Sony did not immediately respond to requests from TheWrap to confirm the story, or say how they might respond to the new threat.