The Guardians of Peace, who hacked Sony Pictures, sent a thank you to film company executives for pulling “The Interview” from theaters — but added rather ominously that if excerpts found their way onto the Internet, more embarrassing data would be released.
“Now we want you [to] never let the movie be released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy,” said Brian Stelter, a senior correspondent covering media for CNN, describing the group’s message. “And we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version, down from any website hosting them immediately.”
The hacking group also reportedly said in the message to movie executives that “you’ve done the right thing,” and that they promised to “ensure the security of your data unless you make additional trouble,” Mediaite reported.
U.S. officials believed the hack was rooted with North Korea’s government, in revenge for a scene in “The Interview” that depicted Kim Jong-un’s assassination. The Guardians of Peace also vowed to commit a Sept. 11 type attack on any theaters that showed “The Interview.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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