Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

Obama, Hollywood stars and more react to the cancellation of The Interview

Published Dec 18th, 2014 10:20AM EST
The Interview Cancelled

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

As you have undoubtedly heard by now, the theatrical release of Sony’s upcoming movie “The Interview” has been cancelled. The film stars Seth Rogen and James Franco, and as you have also undoubtedly heard by now, it paints North Korea in an unflattering light. It also includes a scene where North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, is killed.

That scene has already leaked though, and you can watch it right here.

The United States now believes that North Korea was behind the recent major hack of Sony’s internal networks and the many leaks that followed. Those leaks and the threats from hackers that accompanied them ultimately led to the movie’s cancellation, and now many high-profile people including president Obama and several Hollywood personalities have issued public responses.

DON’T MISS: This is the Kim Jong Un death scene the Sony hackers didn’t want you to see

The Associated Press recently published a collection of responses from influential people including politicians, Hollywood stars and even the president. Here’s a sampling:

“My recommendation would be that people go to the movies.” – President Obama to ABC News.

“An un-American act of cowardice that validates terrorist actions and sets a terrifying precedent.” – Jimmy Kimmel to Judd Apatow on Twitter.

“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. 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.'” – Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin in a statement.

“Dear Sony Hackers: now that u run Hollywood, I’d also like less romantic comedies, fewer Michael Bay movies and no more Transformers. Also, Sony Hackers – I really liked Tyler Perry in “Gone Girl” so hold off on doing anything yet with Madea.” – Michael Moore on Twitter.

For more reactions, follow the link below in our source section.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.