Sony Pictures Entertainment defended its decision Friday to shelve the comedy film "The Interview" in the wake of a massive hacking attack, saying it had "no choice" to cancel the movie's Dec. 25 release.
The statement was released hours after President Obama, speaking at an afternoon press conference, said he believed the studio "made a mistake" in not releasing the film, the plot of which centers on a fictional assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The film has ignited a debate about censorship, and the FBI has formally blamed North Korea for the cyberattack, which has included leaks of confidential data and unreleased movies, as well as threats against Sony employees.
"Let us be clear: the only decision that we have made with respect to release of the film was not to release it on Christmas Day in theaters, after the theater owners declined to show it," Sony said in its statement. "Without theaters, we could not release it in the theaters on Christmas Day. We had no choice."
The studio added that it still hopes to release the movie, albeit on a "different platform."
"It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so," the statement said.
Also on Friday, Michael Lynton, Sony's chief executive and chairman, pushed back against Obama's remarks, insisting to CNN that the company has "not given in and we have not backed down,” and said Obama, the media and the public “are mistaken” about the situation.
On Friday, hackers sent a new email to Sony Pictures Entertainment, calling the studio’s decision to cancel the film’s release a “wise” one and warned the studio not to distribute the film “in any form.”
According to the Associated Press, a person close to the studio confirmed the email and said it was sent to several employees of the company from a hacking group calling itself Guardians of Peace.
The FBI has said it has enough evidence to conclude that North Korea was behind the breach. On Friday, Obama, vowed that the U.S. would "respond," to the attack, though he offered no details on what that response might entail.
He mocked the North Korean regime for launching an "all-out assault" over a satirical movie, but he also chided Sony for responding by shutting down the movie's release.
"I think they made a mistake," Obama said.
Obama said that if somebody can "intimidate" a company out of releasing a satirical movie -- in this case, one about a plot to execute North Korea's leader, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco -- "imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don't like or news reports that they don't like."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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