October 2013: Initial casting revealed for Seth Rogan and James Franco comedy The Interview. This is the start of the production. November 2013: First pictures of The Interview was released. We found out that The Interview was is a 2014 Americanpolitical satire comedy film. June 11: The first trailer was released for the film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj3uHftd5FQ Earlier this month, the first trailer for the Seth Rogen/ James Franco comedy The Interview dropped. It played pretty well here in America, but given its plot follows a group of journalists who decide to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, it didn’t exactly send pleasing ripples through the Asian Communist country. In fact, the unofficial spokesman for Jong-un, Kim Myong-chol, released a slew of statements criticizing both the film, the larger film industry and the American government. June 20: North Korean officials call The Interview a symbol of the “desperation” of US society, but an unofficial spokesperson for Kim Jong-un says he’ll probably watch it anyway. June 25:
North Korea steps up its reaction, promising a 'merciless response' and warning the Us government that failure to stop the film being released would be considered an 'act of war'. • Seth Rogen responds irreverently on Twitter.
To allow the production and distribution of such a film on the assassination of an incumbent head of a sovereign state should be regarded as the most undisguised sponsoring of terrorism as well as an act of war. The United States authorities should take immediate and appropriate actions to ban the production and distribution of the aforementioned film; otherwise, it will be fully responsible for encouraging and sponsoring terrorism.
14 August
• Sony say that may remove a scene in which Kim Jong-un’s face is shown melting off in the wake of North Korean complaints. They will also digitally alter thousands of military buttons shown in the film that are accurate copies of those worn by real North Korean soldiers. The buttons reportedly honour Kim and his late father Kim Jong-il, and their depiction would be seen as blasphemy by the regime in Pyongyang.
• Sources within Sony report that they have been hacked and blackmailed by a group leaving the message:
Hacked by #GOP. Warning: We’ve already warned you, and this is just the beginning. We have obtained all your internal data including secrets and top secrets.
• The Guardians of Peace group appear to have used the infrastructure of Sony’s PlayStation Network to spread a huge amount of stolen Sony Pictures’ data.
Angelina Jolie and Amy Pascal at the Women in Entertainment breakfast, 10 December.Photograph: Action Press/REX/Action Press/REX
10 December
• Defamer uncovers embarrassing emails between Sony co-chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin, charting the breakdown of their professional relationship, and discussing Angelina Jolie, David Fincher and Adam Driver. •The Wall Street Journal uncovers communications between Sony and Marvel discussing a Spider-Man crossover and speaking disparagingly about Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield. • FBI expresses scepticism about North Korea link.
•Aaron Sorkin attacks news outlets such as New York Post, the Daily Beast and the Huffington Post for reporting on information stolen in the hack, calling them more “morally treasonous” than hackers themselves. • Brad Pitt joins backlash, saying that conversations should remain private and news organisations shouldn’t collude with terrorists in disseminating them. • Seth Rogen gives an interview to Howard Stern saying that media organisations are directly profiting from stolen information.
16 December
•Guardians of Peace warn audiences cinemas screening The Interview may be subject to 9/11 style attack • Two former Sony employees launch class-action suit against studio claiming they were negligent in guarding their networks. • New York premiere of The Interview – scheduled for 18 December – cancelled. • James Franco and Seth Rogen cancel planned promotional appearances. • Carmike Cinemas first chain to cancel all screenings of the film. • Department of Homeland Security dismisses “active” threat.
Technology:
Technology was the most important factor throughout in good and bad ways. Technology was evidently used in the process of the film to create it and show it. Which is good. But from the hack onwards its bad. Technology was used to hack all the computer and to send many threats to sony. Without digital technology none of this would of even been possible.
Production:
From the very start of the production they started to release trailers and the first insight f the film to create publicity for the film. Soon as North Korea's leader viewed this sent threats to sony as he was disgraced by it. The production started to cause a lot of drama between sony and North Korea.
Distribution:
The distribution of the film was supposed to be on show in cinemas across the US on December the 24th. But Sony received many threats from their hackers basically saying if they do release this film there will be an act of war. Barack Obama stepped up in a press conference and said that we shouldn't be scared of these people and that the film should be released. The film then was going to released in cinemas across the US but many of the major cinemas said no because they didn't want there cinema to be blown up but thousands of independent cinemas decided to show the film and sony also released the film on demand so people could watch it in the safety of their own home.
Exhibition:
The hackers also put the film online so people could watch it online for free and as it had a lot of publicity people did want to see the film but people was aware that it was stolen, stealing it again won't be 'as bad'.
Media Convergence:
The Interview can be watched on different devices and in different places. For example you can watch in on your phone on a train but you can also watch it illegally online.
