Hackers invoke 9/11, threatening Sony film release

Hackers invoked the 9/11 attacks Dec. 16 in their most chilling threat yet against Sony Pictures, warning cinema-goers not to see a film which has angered North Korea.
      
There were growing signs that the threat may work, as Sony left it to theater managers to choose whether to show "The Interview," while an industry expert forecast that many would decide it wasn't worth the risk.
      
"Will theater owners balk at booking the film? It's actually highly possible," analyst Jeff Bock at box office tracker Exhibitor Relations told AFP.
      
"No one wants another scenario like what happened with 'The Dark Knight Rises' shooting in Colorado," he said, referring to the July 2012 Aurora shooting, in which a gunman killed 12 and injured 70 others.
      
Sony made no official comment, but a source familiar with its thinking said that the decision whether to show the film "is with theater owners, partners whom we support."       

But the stars of the movie, James Franco and Seth Rogen, have canceled all promotional appearance related to the film, according to industry media.
      
At least one chain, Carmike theaters based in Georgia, said they will not show the movie, according to Variety. Two other major chains, AMC and Regal Theaters, did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment.
      
The 9/11 threat -- which was downplayed by US authorities -- came as lawyers filed two class action suits against the embattled studio, claiming it failed to protect employees' data, stolen in a huge cyber-attack three weeks ago.
                      
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