Sony says it still plans release of North Korean film

Sony Pictures has said that it is surveying "alternative means" of releasing 'The Interview', after scrapping its original release in the wake of a huge cyber-attack

Sony Pictures has said that it is “surveying alternative means” of releasing the satirical film ‘The Interview’, after scrapping its scheduled opening following a cyber-attack linked to North Korea.

The company said that it had only cancelled the film's Christmas Day release because “the majority of the nation’s theatre owners had chosen not to screen the film”.

"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 theatres, after the theatre owners declined to show it," a Sony statement said.

"Without theatres, we could not release it in the theatres on Christmas Day. We had no choice. It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so."

A huge cyber-attack on Sony in November resulted in the leak of script details, salary data and private email correspondence. Hackers then issued a warning, saying “the world will be full of fear” if ‘The Interview’ was screened, while referring to the 11 September 2001 terror attacks.

The film stars James Franco and Seth Rogen as two journalists who are granted an audience with North Korean leader Kim-Jong Un. The CIA then enlists the pair to assassinate him. The FBI has said that North Korea was responsible for the hack

Although North Korea has denied involvement in the hack, it has praised the cyber-attack itself as a "righteous deed".

United States President Barack Obama said that Sony "made a mistake" cancelling the release.

"We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship in the United States," Obama said, while vowing to "respond" to the cyber-attack in a "manner that we choose".