SONY-CYBER SECURITY/CUMBERBATCH Actor Benedict Cumberbatch calls Sony attack "worrying" and "tragic"

Record ID: 451737

  • Title: SONY-CYBER SECURITY/CUMBERBATCH Actor Benedict Cumberbatch calls Sony attack "worrying" and "tragic"
  • Date: 18th December 2014
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - OCTOBER 2014) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF ACTORS BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH AND KEIRA KNIGHTLEY POSING ON RED CARPET VARIOUS OF CUMBERBATCH BEING INTERVIEWED
  • Embargoed: 2nd January 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7D8IGTNOLU4B5D8I8W9R8P4B5
  • Story Text: Golden Globe-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch has called Sony's computer system breach "worrying" and "tragic".
    "This is just obviously a very specific attack on an item of satire, I mean did we have this with "Team America", did that happen then? I don't think it did and that was...I haven't seen the film so I can't really comment on the specifics of it, but it's worrying, of course it's worrying. You know, we revel in our democracy we revel in our civil rights and freedom of speech and expression, and in this culture and in America as well, and to see it attacked from the outside and see people inhibited by fear of terror as a means of silencing voices, even if they are of dissent or satire, I mean you know it's tragic," he told Reuters during a press junket for the European release of "The Imitation Game".
    Sony Pictures has cancelled the December 25 cinema release of its forthcoming comedy, "The Interview", which depicts the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Hackers who said they were incensed by the film attacked the studio's computers last month, leaking documents that drew global headlines and distributing unreleased films on the internet.
    Sony said the decision to pull "The Interview" was due to several theatre chains holding off on showing it. The hacker group that claimed responsibility has threatened attacks on theatres that planned to screen the film.
    North Korea has denied it was behind the hacking, but security experts in Washington said it was an open secret Pyongyang was responsible.
    The White House National Security Council said the United States was investigating the Sony breach and would provide an update about who did it at the appropriate time.
    Sony said it was "deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company."
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