This photo provided by Columbia Pictures - Sony shows, from left, Diana Bang, as Sook, Seth Rogen, as Aaron, and James Franco, as Dave, in Columbia Pictures' "The Interview." When a group claiming credit for the hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment threated violence against theaters showing “The Interview” earlier this week, the fate of the movie was all but sealed. Even though law enforcement didn’t deem the threats of violence credible, theater owners and Sony undoubtedly considered the 2012 massacre of a dozen people in a Colorado movie theater. That attack came without warning, and there was no precedent for such mass violence against a U.S. movie audience. (AP Photo/Columbia Pictures - Sony, Ed Araquel)
Republished December 19, 2014 - 12:48 PM
Original Publication Date December 19, 2014 - 10:05 AM
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Hackers sent a new email Friday to Sony Pictures Entertainment, gloating over the studio's "wise" decision to cancel the release of "The Interview" and warning not to distribute the film "in any form."
The email was confirmed by a person close to the studio who requested anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the matter. It was sent to several employees of the Culver City, California, company that's been roiled by a hacking group calling itself Guardians of Peace.
"Very wise to cancel 'the interview' it will be very useful for you," read the message. "We ensure the purity of your data and as long as you make no more trouble."
The email also warned against any release of the Seth Rogen, James Franco comedy and insisted that "anything related to the movie, including trailers" be removed from the Internet.
"Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy," wrote the hackers.
The Obama administration on Friday formally accused the North Korean government of being responsible for the devastating hacking attack. The FBI said in a statement it has enough evidence to conclude that North Korea was behind the punishing breach, which resulted in the disclosure of tens of thousands of leaked emails and other materials.
Sony Pictures has been removing all signs of "The Interview" from its websites and taken its trailers off YouTube. On Wednesday, the studio cancelled its Dec. 25 release after the hackers made threats of violence against theatres showing the film. Sony has said it now has no plans to release "The Interview."
"It's above us now at government level," said the person close to Sony.
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Associated Press Writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014