Aaron Sorkin weighed in forcefully on the news that Sony Pictures was pulling The Interview from its scheduled Christmas Day release.
“Today the U.S. succumbed to an unprecedented attack on our most cherished, bedrock principle of free speech by a group of North Korean terrorists who threatened to kill moviegoers in order to stop the release of a movie,” Sorkin said in a statement to media. “The wishes of the terrorists were fulfilled in part by easily distracted members of the American press who chose gossip and schadenfreude-fueled reporting over a story with immeasurable consequences for the public — a story that was developing right in front of their eyes. My deepest sympathies go out to Sony Pictures, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and everyone who worked on The Interview.”
Read more Sony Cancels ‘The Interview’ Release: Hollywood Reacts
Sorkin has been critical of the media’s handling of the story that began Nov. 24 when the studio first noticed that it had been hacked. Over the next three weeks, the studio has endured the leaking of personal information of some 47,000 past and present employees, salaries, sensitive financial documents and embarrassing emails from Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal and other top executives.
The hackers, who call themselves Guardians of Peace, threatened 9/11-style violence if the studio released the film. According to news reports Wednesday afternoon, North Korea was centrally involved in the hack.
Sorkin also has defended Pascal amid the fallout over a racially insensitive email exchange with producer Scott Rudin being leaked.
