The fallout from the November 24 cyberattack against Sony Pictures Entertainment over its upcoming film The Interview continues to grow.
According to TheWrap, both Carmike Cinemas and ArcLight Cinemas have decided to pull the film from their theaters in the wake of a new “9/11-style” terror threat issued by the Guardians of Peace hacker group this week against theaters that have committed to screen the film.
The threat read, in part:
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.
The Hollywood Reporter reported late Tuesday night that due to security concerns, the film’s premiere, originally scheduled for Thursday at Landmark’s Sunshine Cinema in New York, has been canceled. Sony was going to go ahead with its plans for the premiere, but Landmark eventually decided against it, a source told THR. The film is currently slated for wide release on Christmas Day.
The New York premiere’s cancellation comes on the heels of stars Seth Rogen and James Franco canceling all promotional activities for the film on Tuesday and Wednesday. A representative for Rogen told THR that the actors would “reassess Thursday” to decide whether or not to conduct press events as normal.
Sony is not the only film studio infuriated by the cyberattack; according to TheWrap, rival studios are quietly incensed that their Christmas Day releases could be negatively affected by the hack. Among this year’s Christmas Day releases are Paramount Pictures’ Mark Wahlberg-starrer The Gambler and Disney’s Into The Woods.
“This couldn’t come at a worse time,” an unnamed studio executive told TheWrap. “Do you really want to drop your kids off at a mall filled with metal detectors and cops? Who wants to take that chance over the holidays – for a movie?”
Breitbart News received the following statement from National Amusements’ Showcase Cinemas:
After careful consideration, National Amusements’ Showcase Cinemas has decided not to open The Interview on December 25, 2014, as originally planned. This decision reflects our commitment to ensuring the safety and comfort of our guests and employees.
Other theater chains, including AMC Entertainment, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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