Sony Pictures has denied bowing to threats from North Korea by dropping the film The Interview after Barack Obama claimed it had “made a mistake” in shelving the release. 
 
 In statement after the President criticised Sony for cancelling the release of the satirical film, the troubled company claimed had only done so after cinemas pulled out of screening it. 
 
 The studio said it is now “surveying alternatives to enable us to release the movie on a different platform". 
 
 Mr Obama said he was “sympathetic” to the studio during his end-of-year press conference at the White House on Friday, but stressed: “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States.” 
 
 After leaking private emails and information about the company, hackers had made threats against cinemas who screened The Interview. 
 
 The Seth Rogen comedy depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 
 
 This threat saw the studio cancel the Christmas Day release. 
 
 However, Sony Pictures chief executive and chairman Michael Lynton hit back at the President’s comments, telling CNN it had not “caved” following the hack the FBI confirmed North Korea is responsible for. 
 
 "We have not given in. And we have not backed down. We have always had every desire to have the American public see this movie," he said. 
 
 Sony Cyber Attack: The Worst Affected In Hollywood 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13 show all Sony Cyber Attack: The Worst Affected In Hollywood 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1/13 Leonardo DiCaprio The actor's 'horrible behaviour' over Steve Jobs biopic was branded 'actually despicable' in leaked Sony executive emails Getty Images 
 
 2/13 Seth Rogen Seth Rogen and James Franco cancel Interview (North Korea-baiting film) press appearances after Sony hackers' threats 
 
 3/13 James Franco Seth Rogen and James Franco cancel Interview press appearances after Sony hackers' threats AP 
 
 4/13 Aaron Sorkin The screenwriter has said that the people who hacked into Sony Entertainment Pictures and released private emails are 'threatening the lives of whole families' Theo Wargo | Getty Images for Nantucket Film Festival 
 
 5/13 Amy Pascal Also leaked: Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal's email joking about President Barack Obama's race Getty Images 
 
 6/13 George Clooney Leaked email chain between Pascal and George Clooney appeared to reveal just how much the actor struggled to cope with the criticism of his The Monuments Men Getty 
 
 7/13 Barack Obama Sony executives Scott Rudin and Amy Pascal's leaked email exchange jokes about Barack Obama favouring films with black actors Getty 
 
 8/13 Channing Tatum Channing Tatum's leaked Sony executive email responding to the success of 22 Jump Street with Jonah Hill, which became the highest grossing R-rated comedy ever when it opened in June this year Getty Images 
 
 9/13 Jaden and Willow Smith Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's children Willow and Jaden Smith found themselves in the Sony inbox as well Getty 
 
 10/13 Mark Gordon DiCaprio's exchange with Jobs TV producer Mark Gordon (pictured) was leaked too Getty Images 
 
 11/13 Princess Beatrice Sony hackers linked to North Korea revealed Princess Beatrice earns $30,000 a year 
 
 12/13 Michael Fassbender Aaron Sorkin's leaked emails claimed he had no idea who actor Michael Fassbender (pictured) was Getty Images 
 
 13/13 Scott Rudin Information leaked has also included embarrassing emails involving high profile producer Scott Rudin attacking Angelina Jolie Getty Images 
 
 Mr Lynton said "the president, the press and the public are mistaken" over what had actually led to it stopping the release. 
 
 "We do not own movie theatres. We cannot determine whether or not a movie will be played in movie theatres." 
 
 He said Sony had “a number of options open to us and we have considered those and are considering them”. 
 
 Many have speculated that a possible release could be online, although Mr Lynton did not comment on this. 
 
 Seth Rogen in cancelled Sony Pictures comedy The Interview 
 
 He did say that no "major video on demand distributor" has been "willing to distribute" the film. "We don't have that direct interface with the American public, so we need to go through an intermediary to do that,” he told CNN. 
 
 In a statement following up from Mr Lynton’s comments, Sony added: "It is still our hope that anyone who wants to see this movie will get the opportunity to do so." 
 
 Explaining the decision not to proceed with the Christmas Day screening of the film, Sony had said. "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. 
 
 "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." ||||| The hackers behind a devastating cyberattack at Sony Pictures have sent a new message to executives at the company, crediting them for a "very wise" decision to cancel the Christmas day release of "The Interview," a source close to the company told CNN. 
 
 The email message was received by Sony's top executives on Thursday night and was obtained by CNN. 
 
 The source said that the company believes the email was from the hackers because it followed a pattern of previous messages, sent to a list of particular executives and formatted in a particular way. 
 
 A Sony spokesman declined to comment. 
 
 Also on Friday, President Obama said he disagreed with Sony's decision. 
 
 "I am sympathetic to the concerns that they face. Having said all that, yes I think they made a mistake," Obama said at a White House press conference. 
 
 "We cannot have a society where some dictator someplace can impose censorship here in the U.S.," he added. 
 
 Related: FBI: North Korea responsible for Sony hack 
 
 The FBI has officially linked the cyberattack at Sony to the North Korean government. 
 
 "The destructive nature of this attack, coupled with its coercive nature, sets it apart," the FBI said in a statement. 
 
 The Motion Picture Association of America called the hack a "despicable, criminal act" on Friday. 
 
 "This situation is larger than a movie's release or the contents of someone's private emails," said Chris Dodd, CEO of the lobbying group. "This is about the fact that criminals were able to hack in and steal what has now been identified as many times the volume of all of the printed material in the Library of Congress." 
 
 The hacker message is effectively a victory lap, telling the studio, "Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy." 
 
 The message also says, "And we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately." 
 
 It warns the studio executives that "we still have your private and sensitive data" and claims that they will "ensure the security of your data unless you make additional trouble." 
 
 The email was titled "Message from GOP." The anonymous hackers have called themselves "Guardians of Peace." 
 
 Sony is still reeling from the late November cyberattack that crippled its computer systems, and now it is under severe scrutiny for canceling the Christmas release of "The Interview," Seth Rogen and James Franco's comedy about an attempted assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. 
 
 U.S. officials now believe North Korea instigated the hack, lending credence to the Sony executives who privately started calling it a "terrorist act" weeks ago. 
 
 Since the cancellation on Wednesday, the same executives have been wondering whether the leaks of private emails and corporate documents would now stop. 
 
 Thursday night's message implied that the leaks will stop. 
 
 In a statement on Wednesday when the film's release was scrapped, the company said "we stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome." 
 
 Many lashed out at the studio for its unprecedented decision to pull the movie. Others have rallied around Sony's predicament. 
 
 George Clooney, in an interview with Deadline.com on Thursday, revealed that he had circulated a petition earlier in the week saying "we fully support Sony's decision not to submit to these hackers' demands" -- but no one was willing to sign it. 
 
 "It was a large number of people. It was sent to basically the heads of every place," Clooney said without naming names. 
 
 The petition said, "This is not just an attack on Sony. It involves every studio, every network, every business and every individual in this country," and it concluded, "We hope these hackers are brought to justice but until they are, we will not stand in fear. We will stand together." 
 
 It's outdated now, since Sony did cancel "The Interview." In the interview, Clooney expressed sadness that "as we watched one group be completely vilified, nobody stood up." ||||| The controversial comedy, “The Interview,” will see the light of day, said a top Sony lawyer during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press" on Sunday. 
 
 “It’s going to be distributed,” said David Boies, a high-profile attorney representing Sony Pictures. 
 
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 The movie studio canceled the Christmas Day release of its much-discussed comedy after hackers threatened Sept. 11-style attacks on any theater screening the film. “The Interview” depicts a fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. 
 
 “Under those circumstances, whether it’s legal liability or not, you just have to be very careful about people’s live,” Boies said. 
 
 The FBI has accused the secluded regime of sponsoring the cyberattack on Sony, which has exposed troves of the company’s internal documents and emails and cost the film studio upwards of $100 million. 
 
 The White House on Friday promised a proportional response for the incident. 
 
 “This is not a Sony security problem, this is a national security problem,” Boies said. 
 
 In his Friday press conference, President Obama said Sony made a mistake in axing the film’s release. 
 
 “We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States,” Obama said, adding that he wished Sony executives had spoken to him ahead of their decision. 
 
 Sony brass has argued the company spoke with senior White House officials prior to pulling “The Interview.” 
 
 Boies insisted Sony had no choice about canceling the theatrical release after the top five largest theater chains in North America pulled the film from their lineups. 
 
 “You can’t release a movie unless you have a distribution channel,” he said. 
 
 But he stressed that Sony’s decision wasn’t a final verdict on the movie. 
 
 “What Sony’s been trying to do is get this picture out,” Boies said.
– President Obama didn't mince words today when asked at his end-of-the-year news conference about Sony Pictures: "Yes, I think they made a mistake," he said of the company's decision to pull the movie The Interview, reports NBC News. "We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship in the United States," he said. Obama added that he was "sympathetic" to Sony's concerns as a corporation, but he said the precedent set over a "satirical movie" is a terrible one. "I wish they would have spoken to me first." Of the hackers: "They caused a lot of damage, and we will respond." Of the movie's star, Seth Rogen: "I love Seth." Other topics: Black America: It is better off "in the aggregate" than when he came into office, said Obama, but work remains. He spoke of a "growing awareness" that law enforcement isn't always "applied in a colorblind fashion." Cuba: "Change is going to come to Cuba. It has to." Fidel: Obama said that when he was on the phone to President Raul Castro about renewing relations, he apologized for talking at length. Castro replied that his famous brother once spoke for seven hours' straight and that Obama was a young man who still had a chance to beat that record. 'Resurgence': Obama opened the news conference by ticking off improvements in the economy, job creation, and health care, and asserted that "America's resurgence is real. We are better off." Congress: Obama said he "sincerely" wants to work with the new Congress, citing areas such as simplifying the tax code, boosting US exports, and rebuilding infrastructure, reports CNN. Keystone: Construction of the pipeline from Canada would create some jobs, but the pipeline in general would not make "even a nominal" difference for US consumers.