14 DAY TRIAL // A violent threat, allegedly from the hackers who have compromised the computer network of Sony Pictures Entertainment, warns moviegoers of 9/11-style terrorist attacks on theaters where the comedy “The Interview” would play.
The message has been delivered via Pastebin, along with other anonymous text-sharing websites, and advises fans planning to see the movie to keep away from these theaters at the time of the film screening.
Calling themselves Guardians of Peace (GoP), the hackers have stolen confidential information from the computer systems of the movie studio, including financial data, projects, personal information about employees and collaborators, as well as private emails exchanged by executives of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE); batches of the illegally obtained data have been leaked online through various file sharing websites.
New leak is the beginning of the Christmas gift
In a message over the weekend, GoP made available a new cache of information and announced that they were preparing a “Christmas gift” that would include “larger quantities of data.”
On Tuesday, another post from someone claiming to be associated with GoP was posted, apparently including data related to Michael Lynton, Sony Pictures CEO; it is unclear what the files shared through the Pastebin post contain, though.
The hackers said that this was the beginning of the gift and asked readers to disclose what they wished to see in the following leaks, by sending emails to the same five disposable email addresses as in the previous communication.
Ill-boding message may not be credible
Apart from this new leak, the message also contains a clear threat against theaters considering the inclusion of “The Interview” in their program.
“We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places ‘The Interview’ be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made.
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.),” reads the message.
The US Department of Homeland Security is aware of the threat, but based on the intelligence they have gathered so far, there is no credibility to it, an official told TMZ.
Release has not been cancelled by Sony
The movie is about two reporters who get an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and are approached by the CIA to assassinate him.
North Korea has denied involvement in the Sony incident, but applauded the initiative of the perpetrators and said that they must be supporters of the Pyongyang ruler.
Even with this threat, Sony has not cancelled the release of the movie scheduled for December 25, although the company has said that theater chains across the US are free to not run the movie, if they so consider it fit. For safety reasons, some cinemas have already cancelled the premiere.
