Quantcast
Channel: TheWrapSony hack – TheWrap
Viewing all 96 articles
Browse latest View live

Seth Rogen and James Franco’s ‘Interview: Freedom Edition’ Blu-ray Set for Release

January 14, 2015, 12:42 pm
$
0
0

Following the unconventional theatrical and streaming release of “The Interview” in wake of terrorist threats, the Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy heads to Blu-ray and DVD on Feb. 17.

Dubbed the “Freedom Edition,” the suggested list price for the discs are $19.99 for Blu-ray and $14.99 for DVD, according to a Sony representative. The average Blu-ray goes for $23-$25 retail, so the lowered “Interview” list price could be a nod to the film’s accelerated rollout.

See photos: Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to ‘The Interview’ Release (Photos)

“The Interview” grossed over $15 million in box office and streaming purchases within its first two weeks of release.

Also Read: US to Squeeze North Korea Financially After Sony Hack Attack

The comedy, which had a $45 million production budget, was at one time set for a nationwide release in more than 2,000 theaters. Sony pulled the film after a group claiming responsibility for the November hack of the studio threatened attacks on par with 9/11.

After a wave of public support from President Barack Obama and various free speech entities, the film saw an enthusiastic response in the first days of 2015.

Also Read: ‘The Interview’ Tumbles at Box Office as VOD, Streaming Expand

The “Freedom Edition” will feature commentary from directors Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Franco and Rogen’s guest starring episode of the Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid,” a gag reel and even the audition footage for Randall Park –the actor who plays North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

Sony Pictures' Michael Lynton Explains Low 'Interview' Digital Price, Ongoing Hack Response

8 Attacks on Free Speech Before Shooting at French Paper Charlie Hebdo (Photos)

↧
Search
↧

Obama’s State of the Union Draws Mixed Reactions From Media

January 20, 2015, 8:44 pm
$
0
0

President Obama delivered his sixth State of the Union address Tuesday night, calling for closing the economic inequality gap, closing Guantanamo Bay, making education more affordable, new trade deals, and increasing the fight against cybersecurity.

Without mentioning the Sony hack or North Korea by name, the president vowed to streamline the fight against cyberattackers.

Also Read: Obama Administration Rolls Out Cybersecurity Plan in Wake of Sony Hack

“No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, especially our kids. We are making sure our government integrates intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat terrorism. And tonight, I urge this Congress to finally pass the legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of cyber-attacks, combat identity theft, and protect our children’s information. If we don’t act, we’ll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable. If we do, we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold opportunities for people around the globe.”

Also Read: President Obama Condemns ‘Cowardly, Evil’ Paris Terror Attack on Charlie Hebdo

After the hour-long address ended, media across the spectrum reacted.

“He concluded by saying he was going to be Mr. Congeniality, but before he got there, he pledged four vetoes,” Fox News contributor George Will said after the president’s speech. Another contributor, The Weekly Standard’s Steve Hayes, responded to President Obama calling for a “better politics.”

“There’s this sense that I think you see throughout this speech that the president thinks he’s gotten the job done. But the idea that this president can lecture the Congress, lecture the country, about a better politics I find preposterous on its face,” Hayes continued, pointing out the Obama administration had made very abrasive comments about Republican opponents in the past.

On MSNBC, the mood was a little more cheerful.

“It seems to me that the heart of the speech was something that I think that he was addressing to people who voted for him … he talked about the speech that made him a national figure in 2004,” Rachel Maddow said, noting the president said he still thinks the “cynics are wrong” on whether Washington, D.C. could become less polarized.

Also Read: Chris Matthews: ‘I’m So Glad We Had That Storm Last Week’ (Video)

“I think he made a mistake tonight about cable television,” Chris Matthews said, suggesting a lot of people on MSNBC share the president’s hope for the end of racial division as well as enhanced bipartisanship.”I don’t think it’s fair to say that everybody benefits from division; I think he’s made a mistake on that, and I don’t think he watches a lot of cable television and that’s his call.”

“He also just had a lot of—for lack of a better word— swag [swagger],” Chris Hayes said.

Also Read: Candy Crowley Lands Exclusive With President Obama for Final ‘State of the Union’

“Obama’s back, Obama’s back…that is the guy in 2008 and 2012,” CNN contributor Van Jones said enthusiastically, noting the president’s economic message was strong. “That is Barack Obama back!”

“I don’t join Van in that enthusiasm,” CNN contributor S.E. Cupp laughingly responded, but did note that the president had a cohesive economic message.

Obama’s former Press Secretary Jay Carney noted his former boss struck a strong sense of nostalgia.

“I was struck that he returned to a lot of the themes that Americans first heard from him in 2004 and again in 2008 and 2012,” he said, sharing he received a text from a non-partisan friend who wrote, “That’s why I voted for him.”

The Huffington Post reacted by presenting an emboldened President Obama.

The New York Post went for short, sweet, and deliberate.

The New York Times focused on Obama and Congress.

And on social media, #YesWeTan exploded on Twitter after The White House posted an image of a tan suit shortly before the speech, leaving folks to think he’d be donning tan.

President Obama spoke for an hour.

Related stories from TheWrap:

Obama Cheers Sony's 'Interview' Decision: 'We Are a Country That Believes in Free Speech'

TV News Praises President Obama After He Calls Sony's 'The Interview' Cancellation a 'Mistake'

President Obama Picks His Favorite Movie of the Year

↧

Amy Pascal Steps Down as Sony Pictures Chairman After Hack Debacle

February 5, 2015, 9:12 am
$
0
0

Amy Pascal is stepping down as Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman and chairman of the Motion Picture Group two months after a crippling computer hack brought the studio to a standstill and endangered the release of its movie “The Interview.”

Pascal will segue into launching a production venture at the studio in May, the company announced Thursday. The outcome is the denouement to an unprecedented attack on the studio that became a global incident, with President Obama declaring that the hack was perpetrated by North Korea, whose leader Kim Jong-un was angered over his depiction in the Sony comedy.

Also Read: 45 Days After Hack Attack: What’s the State of Sony Pictures

Pascal had been widely believed to be untenable in her position after hackers leaked the entire contents of her email, revealing embarrassing conversations about movie stars and even the U.S. president. Pascal was forced to apologize for the racially insensitive remarks.

“I have spent almost my entire professional life at Sony Pictures and I am energized to be starting this new chapter based at the company I call home,” said Pascal in a statement.  “I have always wanted to be a producer.  Michael and I have been talking about this transition for quite some time and I am grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to pursue my long-held dream and for providing unparalleled support.  As the slate for the next 2 years has come together, it felt like the right time to transition into this new role.  I am so grateful to my team, some of whom I have worked with for the last 20 years and others who have joined more recently.  I am leaving the studio in great hands.  I am so proud of what we have all done together and I look forward to a whole lot more.”

Also Read: ‘Jobs’ Movie Chaos Exposed: Heated Emails Between Amy Pascal, Scott Rudin Leaked

Before the hack of Sony, Pascal had long been one of the most powerful executives in the movie industry, though her magic touch in picking movies had lost its luster of late. Pascal joined Sony in 1988 and was named chairman of the Motion Pictures Group in 2003. She added the title of co-chairman of SPE in 2006.

“Amy’s creativity, drive, and bold choices helped define SPE as a studio where talented individuals could take chances and push boundaries in order to deliver outstanding entertainment,” Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment, said in a statement.

Also Read: In 2014, Hollywood Hubris Met Media Mayhem

Pascal was out at industry events on Wednesday evening, the night before the end of her long reign in Hollywood. She attended the red carpet premiere of her movie, “The Wedding Ringer,” starring Kevin Hart. And she later appeared at the African American Film Critics Association Awards in Hollywood’s Taglyan Center on Wednesday night, looking frazzled.  “She looked emotional,” an individual at the ceremony told TheWrap. “She worked the room very quickly and spoke a mile a minute. It was a bit manic.”

Pascal was present to support producer Stephanie Allain who was getting an award.

“Sony Pictures Entertainment has maintained one of the most impressive track records in the film industry for providing platforms for film properties that highlight the African American experience. The studio also has a solid track record when it comes to hiring executives of color,” a statement on the organization’s website reads.

Sony’s computer, email and entire phone system were paralyzed in the hacker takedown that began on Monday, Nov. 24. The hack led to thousands of documents containing sensitive information about Sony employees to be leaked to various online outlets and ultimately led the studio to scrap theatrical release plans for Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy “The Interview.”
The movie was ultimately released in a few hundred independent theaters and streamed online on multiple digital platforms.

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

45 Days After Hack Attack: What's the State of Sony Pictures

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai Tells Staff on Studio Lot: We Will Emerge 'Stronger Than Ever'

North Korea Blasts US Over Sony Hacking Sanctions

↧

Amy Pascal Sony Resignation: A Timeline of Cyberterror and Misfires

February 5, 2015, 12:25 pm
$
0
0

Amy Pascal stepped down as Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman and chairman of the Motion Pictures Group on Thursday, a move that wasn’t terribly surprising, given the two months of chaos that preceded her resignation.

In the weeks leading up to Thursday’s announcement, Sony was crippled by a massive cyberattack that included embarrassing leaks of Pascal’s emails, which was followed by the cancellation — and eventual un-cancellation — of the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy “The Interview.”

Below, TheWrap compiles a timeline of the events leading up to Pascal’s resignation.

Nov. 24: Sony gets hacked, with employees greeted by an ominous message on their computer screens when they attempt to log in. At the time, the cyberattack is attributed to a hacker group calling itself Guardians of Peace.

“Hacked by #GOP,” the message read, accompanied by an image of a skeleton. Pascal remains silent as the company is besieged and employees’ personal information, including medical records, is compromised.

See photos: Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to ‘The Interview’ Release

Dec. 4: As all hell begins to break loose, the Hollywood Reporter ranks Pascal #4 on its annual Women in Entertainment Power 100. At least at the time.

Dec. 8: The hack takes a personal turn for Pascal, as hackers release her email box to the internet. Among the revelations in Pascal’s emails: A skirmish with producer Scott Rudin over the state of the Steve Jobs biopic “Jobs.” The “Jobs” conversation also includes concerns that Angelina Jolie“>Angelina Jolie potentially luring director David Fincher away to direct a Cleopatra film.

“I’m not destroying my career over a minimally talented spoiled brat who thought nothing of shoving this off her plate for eighteen months so she could go direct a movie,” Rudin wrote in one message.

Dec. 10: Pascal has awkward encounter with Angelina Jolie at The Hollywood Reporter Women in Entertainment Power 100 breakfast.

Dec. 11: Pascal and Rudin are compelled to apologize after an email exchange between the pair is revealed, in which they made racially insensitive remarks about President Obama.

See photos: James Franco, Seth Rogen: Sony’s Interview-Less ‘Interview’ Premiere

“Would he like to finance some movies,” Rudin asked after Pascal sought his advice on what she should say to Obama at a fundraiser.

“I doubt it. Should I ask him if he liked DJANGO?” said Pascal, with Rudin replying “12 YEARS.” Pascal continued, “Or the butler. Or think like a man?”

See photos: 7 Class Action Lawsuits Over Sony Hack to Become One Case

Dec. 11: In an interview with TheWrap’s Sharon Waxman, Pascal is asked whether the leak has damaged her to the point that she can no longer effectively lead Sony, Pascal doesn’t exactly exude confidence in her reply.

“I hope that’s not true. I hope that’s not true,” Pascal said. “I don’t think it’s true.”

Dec. 17: Sony decides to pull the James Franco-Seth Rogen comedy “The Interview.” The film, which depicts the pair embarking on a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, is believed to have spurred the hack, in which North Korea is now believed to have played a part. Sony’s decision is met with criticism, with Newt Gingrich, Rob Lowe and Mitt Romney, among others, accusing the company of caving under pressure.

December 19: President Obama says Sony’s decision to pull “The Interview” from theaters was ill-advised, telling reporters, “I think they made a mistake.” With North Korea as a suspect in the Sony hack, Obama took Sony to task for capitulating.

“We cannot have a society in which some dictator in some place can start imposing censorship here in the U.S. If somebody can intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical comedy, imagine what they’ll do when they see a documentary or political film they don’t like? … That’s not what we are, that’s not what America’s about.”

Dec. 23: Sony decides to release “The Interview” in theaters after all, along with a video-on-demand release. Christmas comes early for freedom of expression.

See photos: Obama Administration Rolls Out Cybersecurity Plan in Wake of Sony Hack

TMZ

Dec. 27: Following the box-office redemption of “The Interview,” Pascal is descended on by paparazzi at Los Angeles International Airport. Asked if the film’s financial success would help  her keep her job, Pascal again wasn’t terribly confident. “I hope so,” she replied.

Sony Pictures

Dec. 28: “The Interview” takes in $2.8 million at the box office over the four-day weekend of its release — a far cry from the $20 million-plus that the film was projected to make when it was scheduled for a nationwide release, but respectable given its limited release.

At least Rory Bruer, Sony’s president of worldwide distribution, is pleased with the haul. “While this is a completely unprecedented circumstance without proper comparisons, we are very pleased with how it is doing both theatrically where we are seeing numerous sell-outs across the country, and online where it remains at the top of many charts,” Bruer said. “Most gratifying of all is hearing how people banded together to watch the film and have a good time.” Online, the film takes in another $15 million.

See photos: 45 Days After Hack Attack: What’s the State of Sony Pictures

Jan. 5: Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai addresses the hack attack for the first time at CES.

“I have to say freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association, are important lifelines of Sony and our entertainment business,” Hirai said during his keynote address. He went on to praise the studio for releasing “The Interview.”

Jan. 7: Hirai appears at the Culver City lot of Sony Pictures Entertainment, telling executives and employees in a memo that the company would emerge from the cyberattack “stronger than ever.” Notably absent from Hirai’s memo: Any mention of Pascal or Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton.

See photos: US Sanctions North Korea Over Sony Hack Attack

Feb. 4: Pascal appears at the African American Film Critics Association Awards in Hollywood, appearing, as one individual said, “a bit manic.” Another witness added that Pascal was behaving “erratically.”

Honoring @stephanieallain at the #AAFCA Awards. #BlackHollywood. Great intro from #AmyPascal, president Sony-Pictures.

A photo posted by Walter M. Reynolds Jr. (@waltermreynoldsjr) on

Feb. 5: Pascal announces her resignation as Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman and chairman of the Motion Pictures Group, though she will segue into launching a production venture with the studio in May.

“I have spent almost my entire professional life at Sony Pictures and I am energized to be starting this new chapter based at the company I call home,” Pascal says of the move.

↧

‘Spectre’ First Look: Daniel Craig’s James Bond in Shootout On Top of The World (Video)

February 12, 2015, 12:01 am
$
0
0

Sony Pictures, MGM and Eon Productions gave fans a first look at “Spectre” late Wednesday evening, offering a glimpse of Daniel Craig returning to the iconic James Bond role along with director Sam Mendes.

The film centers around a cryptic message from Bond’s past that sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M (Ralph Fiennes) battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind “Spectre.”

See photos: 25 Sizzling Bond Girls: From Ursula Andress to Monica Belluci and Lea Seydoux (Photos)

Producers for the film also released a video blog from location in Austria, documenting Craig’s time on set with costars Léa Seydoux and Dave Bautista.

“We have to deliver an amazing sequence and this is going to be one of the major action sequences of the movie, a jewel in the crown so to speak. It’s going to be spectacular and Austria seemed to offer everything that we needed to pull it off,” associate producer Gregg Wilson said in a statement.

Also Read: Universal, MGM Settle Lawsuit Over Alleged ‘James Bond’ Copyright Infringement

Production designer Dennis Gassner added, “The thing that Sam and I talked about was how we are going to top ‘Skyfall,’  it’s going to be ‘Spectre.’ So far it’s a great start, I think that we are going to continue the history of the Bond films, making things that are exciting for the audience to look at — what could be more exciting than to be on top of the world?”

The film has seen its fair share of excitement in pre-production. The script for “Spectre” was allegedly leaked in the November hack of Sony, though producers warned it was an early draft.

“Spectre” opens Nov. 6, 2015.

25 Sizzling Bond Girls: From Ursula Andress to Monica Belluci and Lea Seydoux (Photos)

1 of 25

On the heels of the announcement of the title and cast of “Spectre” starring Daniel Craig, a look back at all the lovely allies and femme fatales who’ve crossed paths with 007 over the years

Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder, "Dr. No" (1962)
Widely regarded as the first Bond Girl, Honey Ryder's emergence from the ocean clad in a white bikini is considered one of the most iconic moments in 007 franchise history.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

Henry Cavill Channels James Bond in First Trailer for Guy Ritchie's 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' (Video)

Idris Elba on Being the Next James Bond: 'Glad You Think I've Got a Shot!' (Photo)

↧
↧

Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara Regrets Not Helping Sony During Hack

February 18, 2015, 12:17 pm
$
0
0

Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara said he regretted not doing more to support to Sony in the wake of a devastating hack attack that nearly crippled the studio, the executive said at the Code Media conference in Dana Point, California, on Wednesday.

“We could have and should have done more for Michael [Lynton] and for Sony,” Tsujihara said, though he didn’t allude to any specifics.

While some industry observers felt Warner Bros. and other studios could’ve leaned on the National Association of Theater Owners to help Sony avoid pulling “The Interview” from theaters, there was a real fear throughout Hollywood as other studios aimed to avoid being hacked themselves.

Also Read: Amy Pascal Says She Was ‘Fired,’ Talks Leaked Sony Emails and Angelina Jolie (Video)

None of the studios, nor the MPAA, wanted to put themselves out there by offering public support and presenting a unified front in the press, lest they become a target. Some studio insiders felt the Sony situation wasn’t really their business, and that they didn’t owe Sony anything more than moral support.

“It all happened so fast,” Tsujihara explained. “How do I say this in a way that’s supportive without seeming self-serving?’ When you get lawyers and people in the room, things don’t happen.

“In certain respects you want to see all of us in the industry healthy. When you see one of the competitors down, you want to help them up,” said Tsujihara, who recently attended an intimate dinner with his rival studio heads and the MPAA’s Christopher Dodd where he pledged WB’s continued support of the MPAA despite its silence during the Sony hack.

Also Read: Amy Pascal Steps Down as Sony Pictures Chairman After Hack Debacle

Tsujihara acknowledged that “everybody is vulnerable” if a hacker is determined to infiltrate a studio’s network, saying he didn’t think the Sony incident was caused by “lax security”; however, the hack did lead to Tsujihara initiating a review of WB’s own security measures. “We’re doing a number of different things to try and protect what happens if someone gets hit,” he said, adding that “we’ve all been attacked at some level.”

Asked whether Warner Bros. would’ve made “The Interview,” Tsujihara said the studio is constantly thinking how a movie “will be perceived in the international marketplace.”

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

Amy Pascal's Replacement Faces Daunting Challenge at Sony Pictures

Amy Pascal Sony Resignation: A Timeline of Cyberterror and Misfires

7 Potential Contenders for Amy Pascal's Sony Gig

↧

Oscars Telecast Review: Kudos for Tackling Controversies, Low Marks for Pacing

February 22, 2015, 10:25 pm
$
0
0

The Oscars telecast should be commended for taking on its controversies right from host Neil Patrick Harris‘ energetic start, but it faltered in its pacing.

Early on Harris acknowledged this year’s biggest controversy — the fact that civil rights film “Selma” only got two nominations and for the first time in nearly two decades no person of color received an acting nomination.

“Welcome to the 87th Oscars,” Harris started. “Tonight, we honor Hollywood’s best and whitest, sorry brightest.”

See photos: Oscars 2015 Winners Gallery: ‘Birdman,’ ‘Grand Budapest,’ Eddie Remayne, Julianne Moore

He then skipped the usual monologue to jump right into a really entertaining musical number that included plenty of special effects, holograms and extras to transport Harris into the industry’s most iconic movies.

Jack Black‘s appearance during the number addressed the way some of us are feeling in the post-Sony hack era leaks – that the industry can feel selfish, money-driven and lacking in innovation. All that is easier to digest via song.

Harris was certainly entertaining in the moments between giving out awards and he appeared in just his tighty-whities a la “Birdman” – so that’s dedication. But he played the gig too safely. And at times his lines didn’t measure up to the weight of the moment.

See photos: Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals

Where the show failed was in its pacing. The first hour or two hit viewers with the original song nominations and then fell off, leaving the audience with the pedestrian handing-out of awards, the In Memoriam section, the Academy presidents’ address and whatever random drama the winners generated during their speeches.

The In Memoriam could have been more moving and timesaving if Jennifer Hudson sang over the presentation rather than singing afterward.

There were some rousing moments during Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs’ address, which seemed firmly rooted in defending freedom of expression without actually referring to the events surrounding Sony and “The Interview.” But as an African-American, she could have responded to the race controversy – that would have been momentous.

Also Read: Oscar Week Party Report in Pictures: Oprah, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore and More (Updating)

A pairing of John Travolta and Idina Menzel after the actor butchered her name during last year’s ceremony made for a creepy reunion, which wasn’t helped by his grasping her face between his hands.

Thankfully, there were moments that weren’t under producers Craig Sadan and Neil Meron‘s control.  We saw Patricia Arquette accept her first Oscar nomination and then go on to advocate for the fight for equal pay for women in the industry – another unspoken reference to the Sony hack, which revealed many actors’ salaries. It made for a perfect Meryl Streep moment.

Also Read: 21 Exclusive Wrap Awards Contender Portraits (Photos)

And Graham Moore, the winning writer of “Imitation Game,” encouraged everyone to “stay weird” after sharing a shocking story of his own attempted suicide at age 16.

Oscar Best Song winner John Legend directly referenced current political issues mirrored “Selma,” the Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic for which he and Common wrote the Oscar-winning song “Glory.” http://www.thewrap.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=429951&action=edit&message=1

But in the end, Harris’ pithy lines and the musical smoke and mirrors couldn’t save the show from its terrible pacing.

Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals (Photos)

  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Michael Strahan Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Getty Images
1 of 64

See what all of the Oscar nominees, presenters and guests are wearing as they arrive at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for the 87th annual Academy Awards

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

23 Best & Worst Oscars Moments of 2015 (Photos)

Oscars' Best Picture 'Birdman': 'We're Looking to Add Theaters Tomorrow!'

Inside the Oscars Telecast: 7 Candid Instagram Moments (Photos)

↧

Sony Hack: WikiLeaks Publishes Over 170,000 Emails From Breach

April 16, 2015, 11:28 am
$
0
0

Sony Pictures once again faces a security compromise that could result in public embarrassment, as Julian Assange’s Wikileaks has published over 30,000 documents and 170,000 emails made available in the December breach of the studio.

Wikileaks has uploaded the data into a fully searchable archive, already surfacing emails that connect current CEO Michael Lynton to the RAND corporation, a U.S. military research organization.

“This archive shows the inner workings of an influential multinational corporation. It is newsworthy and at the centre of a geo-political conflict. It belongs in the public domain. WikiLeaks will ensure it stays there,” Assange said in a press release.

Sony issued a statement blasting Assange’s position: “We vehemently disagree with WikiLeaks’ assertion that this material belongs in the public domain,” a spokesperson said.

Also Read: Sony Pictures Slams WikiLeaks Over Publication of Documents From Hack

The data — which Wikileaks totals at 30,287 documents and 173,132 emails shared among 2,200 SPE email users — was sourced from existing files made available in late 2014 on file sharing sites, a hack that the U.S. government has attributed to North Korea allegedly in response to Sony’s Kim Jong-un-skewering “The Interview.”

The breach was easily one of the most egregious cyber-attacks on an American corporation in history. The act resulted in scandal like a revealed trashing of A-list actress and director Angelina Jolie and an exchange between then-CEO Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin that mocked President Obama’s taste in movies as exclusively African American-themed.

Also Read: Amy Pascal Says She Was ‘Fired,’ Talks Leaked Sony Emails and Angelina Jolie (Video)

While parent company Sony remained supportive throughout the ordeal, Pascal vacated her post in February. Her co-CEO Michael Lynton remains in his position, with Tom Rothman hired as Sony Motion Picture Chairman three weeks after Pascal’s departure.

Read Sony’s full response:

The cyber-attack on Sony Pictures was a malicious criminal act, and we strongly condemn the indexing of stolen employee and other private and privileged information on WikiLeaks. The attackers used the dissemination of stolen information to try to harm SPE and its employees, and now WikiLeaks regrettably is assisting them in that effort. We vehemently disagree with WikiLeaks’ assertion that this material belongs in the public domain and will continue to fight for the safety, security, and privacy of our company and its more than 6,000 employees.

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

Amy Pascal Says She Was 'Fired,' Talks Leaked Sony Emails and Angelina Jolie (Video)

Sony Pictures Slams WikiLeaks Over Publication of Documents from Hack

Sony Hack Attack Prompts White House to Bolster Cyber Weapons

↧
Search

10 Revelations From WikiLeaks’ Sony Hack Emails

April 16, 2015, 6:18 pm
$
0
0

In light of WikiLeaks shocking publication of over 170,000 internal Sony Pictures emails on Tuesday, the studio faces new embarrassment from conversations between Michael Lynton, Amy Pascal and Scott Rudin over top acting talent, high-stakes financial deals, creative disagreements and executive ties to political and military groups.

The data, which has been indexed as a fully searchable archive on WikiLeaks, was sourced from the devastating cyberattack on the studio in November 2014. The site’s founder Julian Assange qualified the publication of the material as showing “the inner workings of an influential multinational corporation. It is newsworthy and at the center of a geo-political conflict… It belongs in the public domain.”

Sony blasted WikiLeaks’ position, saying they “vehemently disagree with WikiLeaks’ assertion that this material belongs in the public domain and will continue to fight for the safety, security and privacy of our company.”

Also Read: Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

Here some of the initial findings from WikiLeaks’ Sony Hack archive:

1. RAND Corp Advised Sony on North Korea and “The Interview”
In June 2014, long before the Sony hack would rock the studio, a North Korean spokesman called “The Interview’ a “wanton act of terror.” The movie’s star Seth Rogen responded to the comments with a tweet, prompting an email from Sony PR chief Charlie Sipkins, saying he “was told not to engage.”

Also Read: WikiLeaks Exposes Bromance Between Sony TV Chief Steve Mosko, Jay Penske: 'You're a 10 In My Book!!'

2. Red, White and Green: Amy Pascal‘s $66,000 Trip to D.C.
In October 2014, former co-chairman Pascal jetted to Washington, D.C., for the premiere of David Ayer‘s “Fury,” starring Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf. The two day excursion totaled out $66,350 for car services, air travel and suite at the swanky St. Regis hotel.

3. Rooney Mara Asks Amy Pascal: Is ‘Dragon Tattoo’ Sequel Ever Coming?
Even Rooney Mara is tired of Sony’s maybe, maybe-not stance on putting on sequels to their “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” adaptations. “Logic tells me they are not ever happening- as it’s been almost 3 years since it came out,” she acknowledges in an e-mail to Pascal in October 2014. “But I had still been holding out a little bit of hope.”

4. Drew Goddard Vs. Daredevil Vs. Spider-Man
Before the May 24, 2014 announcement that show-runner Drew Goddard was dropping out of Netflix’s “Daredevil,” things got difficult and litigious for Marvel, Sony and Goddard’s team. “It looks like they are giving us no choice but to litigate this matter,” Marvel TV EVP Jeph Loeb wrote in an e-mail in April.

In a followup e-mail, Marvel’s Ike Perlmutter forwards the Loeb e-mail to Pascal and adds even more panic: “Since we spoke on Wednesday, the problem we are having with Drew Goddard is getting even worse…We should both be very concerned about this situation.”

Also Read: Netflix Responds to 'Daredevil' Backlash With Special Audio Feature for Blind Fans

5. Sony’s Wish List of Replacements for Fired PR Chief Charlie Sipkins
After the studio’s top communications exec exited the company in September, Sony went on the hunt for the next spokesman of their company. High on their wishlist: top executives from rival film companies, Disney’s Paul Roeder (No. 1), Kori Bernards from Universal (No. 5) and WME’s Christian Muirhead (No. 3).

6. David O. Russell Abuse and Lynton’s Brother in Law
In a September 2014 email journalist and Lynton brother-in-law Jonathan Alter notes to Lynton that “American Hustle” director David O. Russell was abusive on set to the point that Christian Bale needed to intervene. “He grabbed one guy by the collar, cursed out people repeatedly in front of others and…abused Amy Adams,” said Alter. “Just figured you might not always get the Intell (sic) you need if you were considering signign him for another film.”

7. Scott Rudin on Angelina Jolie‘s ‘Cleopatra’ Preparation: ‘Kill Me Please’
In December, leaks revealed producer Scott Rudin having harsh words about Angelina Jolie. New e-mails uncovered have reiterated his distaste for the actress-turned-director. “Kill me please. Immediately,” he said in an e-mail to Pascal in June 2014 when he learned she was studying films of potential directors for a “Cleopatra” film in development.

8. Tom Rothman vs. Harvey Weinstein: Festival Smackdown
A May 2014 email shows Tristar Chairman Tom Rothman sizing up competitor Harvey Weinstein — in this case over buying the ill-fated “Grace of Monaco.”

“As we battle Harvey and his volume/buy everything strategy, it is worth noting this example for what it really is–a straight re-neg,” Rothman said. “The deal was 5, he will pay 3 [because] he himself tarnished the goods and he knows no one else will take it now. One of the many risks sellers take when they deal with him.”

9. David Fincher Thinks Sony Has a Leak Problem
In an e-mail with the subject line “Well it ain’t ME,” the almost-“Jobs” director puts the blame of the many leaks on the negotiations for that film on the studio. “I had 15 meetings with Rosamund Pike and her DEAL CLOSED before Variety OR The Reporter ever ran a single blurb,” he said. “This is a CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH SONY.”

Also Read: 'Gone Girl's' David Fincher, Ben Affleck, Gillian Flynn Rebooting 'Strangers on a Train'

10. Amy’s In Love with “Aloha”
It’s not all bad news in the data dump. Cameron Crowe‘s upcoming “Aloha” is under pressure to perform financially and connect with audiences the way his classics have. Pascal responded strongly to an initial screening, praising Bradley Cooper and demanding a “movie star” edit for Emma Stone.

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

WikiLeaks Exposes Bromance Between Sony TV Chief Steve Mosko, Jay Penske: 'You're a 10 In My Book!!'

Sony Pictures Slams WikiLeaks Over Publication of Documents from Hack

Sony Hack: WikiLeaks Publishes Over 170,000 Emails From Breach

↧
↧

Sony Leak: 28 Lies Hollywood Agents Tell Studio Executives About Their Actor Clients

April 19, 2015, 7:15 pm
$
0
0

Updated Monday, April 20 6:15 p.m. PT: Clint Culpepper, the author of the hilarious list of lies and cliches spouted by Hollywood agents, contacted TheWrap to offer some context for the exchange. The email’s purpose was to brainstorm jokes for Amy Pascal, who was booked to speak at a Creative Artists Agency retreat in 2014 (CAA’s Chris Andrews sparked the conversation detailed below).

The list was a roast of sorts, according to Culpepper, that Pascal used to amuse participants including company principal Kevin Huvane (who is mentioned in the flurry of one-liners). Culpepper says Pascal killed at the appearance, and that he does not hate agents. We’ll let the list speak for itself.

Previous post:

Ever wonder what Hollywood studio executives think of talent agents? So did we. The contents of Wikileaks’ archive of hacked Sony emails continues to provide fodder for Hollywood, and one email thread is especially revealing – and hilarious – on the subject of agents.

In an April 2014 email to Sony’s former co-chairman Amy Pascal, Screen Gems president Clint Culpepper vents about a client of CAA agent Chris Andrews languishing over a script.

“Chris Andrews told me that an actor was still reading the script every week for 7 weeks. Finally I said, ‘What page is he on?'” Culpepper wrote.

The note prompted Pascal to ask, “What are the worst things an agent can say?… 1. How can I convince you/ change your mind  2. He won’t go in a pool  … What else.”

Also Read: 11 Revelations From WikiLeaks' Sony Hack Emails

Culpepper fires back with a lively list of excuses he’s heard from representatives about difficult, unavailable or troublemaking talent clients, providing insight into the relationship between Hollywood agents and studio executives.

From denying obvious plastic surgery and feigning interest from rival studios to blaming a dropped phone call on bad reception “in the canyon,” Culpepper sent Pascal 28 of the most-used lines.  Here’s the complete and glorious list:

1. I’ll get right back to you.

2. He’s got a lot of heat on him right now.

3. He’ll even read for it if necessary.

4. All those stories of what a nightmare he is have all taken place when he was using. He’s been sober again for over a month this time.

5. I thought that was just a reading offer.

6. He won’t read.

7. He can’t read.

8. He won’t play gay.

Also Read: WikiLeaks Exposes Bromance Between Sony TV Chief Steve Mosko, Jay Penske: 'You're a 10 In My Book!!'

9. We’ve left word for him on his cell and home phone.

10. She was born with those lips. Believe me. She would never tamper with her face. She’s an actress. It’s her instrument.

11. I don’t have amazing news.

12. Every other studio in town is offering him everything.

13. Donna loves him (presumably Donna Langley, chairman of rival studio Universal Pictures)

14. Every director had a first film.

15. This is right in your wheel house.

16. I know I made the deal. But call his new agent. He’s not my problem anymore.

17. He’s changed. I swear. Just meet with him and you’ll see.

18. I’ve got Kevin Huvane for you. Fine. He insists on holding.

Also Read: Sony Pictures Slams WikiLeaks Over Publication of Documents from Hack

19. His English has gotten better than when you met him. When did you meet him again?

20. Trust me when I tell you that he was the talk of Sundance. Every other studio is offering him leads.

21. His manager is attached to produce.

22. He definitely wants to do it. And he loves it so much he wants to direct it. (Pause). Hello?

23. I’m in the canyon so if I lose you please understand. I’ll get back to you as soon as I get a signal.

24. He’s hired a trainer. And based on his metabulism (sic), his trainer says he can easily lose at least 50 lbs before you start [physical production].

25. I hate making this phone call. Trust me. She didn’t realize she was pregnant when we made the deal. Her doctor is insisting that she could lose the baby if she does the film.

Also Read: Amy Pascal Says She Was 'Fired,' Talks Leaked Sony Emails and Angelina Jolie (Video)

26. Hope your ears were burning. You were the subject of our staff meeting this morning.

27. His girlfriend produces all his films. OK. He’s only done one film. But it’s still a deal breaker. Hello?

28. And we found a bond company that will still bond him.

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

10 Revelations From WikiLeaks' Sony Hack Emails

WikiLeaks Exposes Bromance Between Sony TV Chief Steve Mosko, Jay Penske: 'You're a 10 In My Book!!'

Sony Pictures Slams WikiLeaks Over Publication of Documents from Hack

↧

Hollywood Executive Pay 2014: Mark Zuckerberg Dips, Marissa Mayer Up (Updating)

April 30, 2015, 3:33 pm
$
0
0

After a turbulent year for entertainment and media companies — the Sony hack, a net neutrality fight, attempted mergers and acquisitions — volatility in executive pay overall appears to have gone off script.

The 2014 pace-setter so far is Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer“>Jon Feltheimer, whose compensation ballooned to a massive $63.6 million — up 400 percent from 2013’s $12.6 million — on the heels of the success of the fiscal year’s “Hunger Games” installment and fuelled by Feltheimer’s stock options. Even Disney’s Bob Iger couldn’t compete with that — though his compensation also soared 35 percent. On the flip side, ailing media mogul Sumner Redstone’s compensation is down 65 percent from last year $13.2 million.

Meanwhile Apple CEO Tim Cook — the biggest company in the world — doubled his salary, but still made just $9 million.

But don’t feel bad for anyone on our annual list: No person on TheWrap‘s roster of Hollywood’s highest 2014 earners will starve anytime soon, and most are up significantly from the previous and comparable 12-month fiscal period.

Also Read: Lionsgate Moves to Dismiss Shareholder Lawsuit Over Carl Icahn Stock Block

The following is a list of executive compensation details from 2014 from corporate SEC filings. Some performance or stock-price based compensations are related to fiscal 2014 performance, while others are a barometer of a company’s showing in 2013 or even earlier.

To compare the below figures with previous years’, click through our previous annual reports:

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008

(Updated: April 30, 2015, 3:33 p.m. ET)

AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan’s compensation blasted up nearly 323 percent to $40.3 million in 2014, from $9.5 million the prior year. The jump primarily stemmed from stock awards valued at $29.8 million, up from $2.2 million in 2013. Sapan’s salary increased relatively slightly to $2 million from $1.28 million in 2013, while his non-equity incentive plan compensation rose from $5.9 million to $8.4 million.

In a proxy statement to the SEC, the company cited acquisition of Chellomedia providing distribution to over 390 million subscribers in over 130 countries and entering a joint-venture agreement with BBC Worldwide Americas and acquiring 49.9-percent controlling interest in BBC America as contributing to its incentive-based compensation increases for executives.

“During 2014, the Company continued to perform well, and we remain well positioned to capitalize on future opportunities. In determining compensation for 2014, the Compensation Committee considered the strong growth the Company achieved in 2014,” the report said, noting 36.7 percent year-over-year net revenue growth and 105-percent shareholder return from June 16, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2014.

(Updated: April 29, 2015, 8 p.m. ET)

Yahoo CEO Marissa A. Mayer’s compensation shot up nearly 70 percent from 2013 to 2014, increasing from $24.9 million to $42.1 million.

“A substantial portion of Ms. Mayer’s equity awards that appear as 2014 compensation in the Summary Compensation Table are the performance-based options approved by the Compensation Committee in 2012 as part of her recruitment package,” the company explained in a proxy statement filed April 29, 2015.

The year marked the company’s third consecutive year of delivering returns to shareholders, the company reported.

“Our stock has nearly tripled in value since Ms. Mayer was hired as our CEO, rising from $15.65 on July 16, 2012 (her hire date) to $44.13 on April 1, 2015, significantly outperforming the Nasdaq-100 index for this period of time by over 100 percent,” the company noted in highlights from the report.

Mayer’s salary remained unchanged at $1 million, but her stock awards ballooned from $8.3 million to $11.8 million, her option awards similarly rose from $13.8 million to $28.2 million, while her non-equity incentive plan compensation decreased slightly from $1.7 million to $1.1 million and all other compensation similarly declined relatively modestly.

 

(Updated: April 24, 2015, 5:25 p.m. ET)
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made $610,455 in 2014, down from $653,165 in 2013. That represents a 6.5 percent decline from 2013.

Zuckerberg’s salary remained at $1, with the rest falling under “all other compensation.” Don’t feel sorry for the young executive, however; Zuckerberg made his billions years ago, with Facebook’s May 2012 IPO, solidifying his Forbes list status.

Naturally, all the executives around Zuckerberg made millions last year: COO Sheryl Sandberg made the most in reported executive compensation, totaling $15.5 million. And why not? Facebook revenue roared to $12.5 billion in 2014, up from 2013’s $7.9 billion. Profit basically doubled year-over-year; shareholder earnings naturally followed suit.

The CEO of few words summarized the year us thus: “We got a lot done in 2014. Our community continues to grow, and we’re making progress toward connecting the world.”

(Updated: April 24, 2015, 4:30 p.m. ET)
Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes took in $32.9 million in 2014, a relatively modest 1.2 percent increase from his $32.5 million take in 2013. Most of the executive’s individual compensation categories stayed pretty much as flat as his overall pay did.

This time around, Bewkes’s stock awards were down, though option awards were up. The chief exec made a little more money in non-equity incentive plan compensation than he did the prior year, saw his pension value change to the tune of $245,560, and made about 60 grand higher than 2013 under the catch-all category “all other compensation.”

Bewkes was pleased with his company’s performance in 2014, which saw three of Turner’s networks — TBS, TNT and Adult Swim — rank among ad-supported cable’s Top 10 networks in primetime among adults 18-49.

“We had another very successful year in 2014, with solid revenue growth and robust 18 percent adjusted EPS growth — our sixth consecutive year of at least high-teens adjusted EPS growth,” Bewkes said following the fiscal year end.

Last year, Time Warner returned $6.6 billion to shareholders.

(Updated: April 23, 2015, 9:57 a.m. ET)
Starz CEO Chris Albrecht earned a total of $2.5 million in 2014, way less than his $30.5 million compensation package in 2013 — 92 percent less, as a matter of fact.

Pretty much the entirety of that decline comes from a massive options awards take in 2013, to the tune of $27.9 million. The only other change for Albrecht year-over-year was $137,500 less in non-equity incentive plan compensation.

For Q4 2014, Starz grew both earnings and subscribers, topping Wall Street forecasts in the process. The numbers were also up from the end quarter of 2013, primarily due to rate increases from various distributors. That said, for the full fiscal year 2014, Starz revenue was $1.664 billion, down from 2013’s $1.778 billion. However, profit and earnings per share rose year-over-year.

When December came to a close, Starz boasted 23.3 million subscribers — a new high. It also lapped Showtime for the first time ever by that all-important metric.

“The 2014 performance at Starz validates the strategy undertaken to transform the company from primarily a movie-based provider to a true gold standard premium entertainment provider,” Albrecht said at the time.

Time Inc. boss Joseph A. Ripp made a rounded $5.8 million in 2014. That sum consisted of a $1 million base salary, a $1.1 million bonus, another $1.1 million in stock, $1.25 million in options and yet another $1.1 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation.

The chairman and chief executive officer made 35.6 percent less in the most recently measured year than he did in 2013, when Ripp joined the company in its top job and earned $9 million overall. While he received more in salary, bonus and non-equity incentive plan compensation this time around, those increases were more than offset by a sizable decrease in stock and options, which surely lured him to the position.

Time Inc., which spun off from Time Warner in mid 2014, closed fiscal 2014 on a sour note, down across-the-board financially, and even missed Wall Street’s expectations. The company had an up-and-down short year from a stock trading perspective, with a particularly rough fall.

In 2014, Ripp outperformed his target bonus of $1.5 million. For the current year, Ripp received a $100,000 salary raise, and his target bonus remains 150 percent of that new number.

Twitter CEO Richard Costolo made $175,399 in 2014. Yes, you’re reading that right — the social media company chief doesn’t pull in nearly what some of these other media moguls make annually. That sum translates to a 34.7 percent rise from 2013, when he took home $130,250.

In 2012, Costolo reeled in $11.5 million, thanks to stock and option awards.

Costolo’s 2014 salary was a mere $13,892. The bulk of his all-in compensation was classified under “all other compensation.” Like other startup leaders — i.e. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, whose 2014 take has yet to be released — Costolo’s holdings are more important than his earnings. So don’t feel too sorry for the executive — that is, unless TWTR becomes a penny stock.

Twitter’s revenue more than doubled in 2014 versus the prior year, and its net income turned from a loss to a profit. That said, the company’s rate of user growth slowed down by the end of 2014, creating a challenge for Costolo and company.

Tribune Media CEO Peter Liguori netted $23 million in 2014, his second year with the company. That dollar amount was up 162.7 percent from 2013. The announcement that the former Discovery Communications chief operating officer was joining Tribune Media didn’t even come until mid January 2013, when he started.

Still, that’s a heck of a nice jump — and the executive can thank his stock options package for most of it. That form of compensation accounted for $11.6 million in 2014, which was more than $10 million more than the previous year. Liguori’s salary had a slight uptick, his bonus went down from $1.75 million to zilch. But his stock awards basically doubled to $8.4 million, and he added another $1.5 million in non-equity incentive compensation.

Tribune Media closed fiscal 2014 with a big rise in profits, revenue and earnings per share versus 2013’s final quarter. As a result, the company’s board of directors authorized and declared a special $650 million April 9 cash dividend of $6.73 per share on the company’s Class A common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common stock and Class B common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common stock. In addition, holders of warrants will receive a cash payment equal to the amount of the dividend paid per common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common share for each share of common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common/”>common stock such warrants are exercisable into.

In August 2014, the former Tribune Company rebranded, as it spun off its publishing business.

Rupert Murdoch, the chairman and CEO of 21st Century Fox, brought home a total of $29.2 million from that company alone in 2014, up a few hundred thousand dollars from 2013. Though his salary dipped by $1 million (or was shifted to his News Corp. paycheck, depending on how you want to look at it) and non-equity incentive decreased by more than twice that (same idea, see below), those drops were more than offset by an increase in Murdoch’s pension/deferred compensation and an uptick in stock awards. Throw in his News Corp. take and the media mogul had a nice 2014.

The company 21st Century Fox itself posted revenue of $31.87 billion for 2014, increasing 15 percent year-over-year and topping Wall Street forecasts. The increase was primarily due to increases in subscription, affiliate fees, content and advertising revenues — it certainly helped having 2014’s Super Bowl.

On the big screen, Murdoch credited the global box office successes of “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Rio 2” and “The Fault in Our Stars” for contributing to the particularly strong end to the company’s year.

As executive chairman of News Corp., Murdoch can add $8.7 million to his other haul. That breaks down to $1 million in salary, $5 million or so in stock awards and about $2.7 million in non-equity incentive plan monies. All this money coming in combined, Murdoch’s executive compensation rose 31.1 percent year-over-year.

For that new company’s first standalone year, revenues of $8.57 billion represented a four percent decrease. News Corp as it now stands split from Rupert Murdoch’s entertainment media company in June 2013.

Chase Carey, president and COO of 21st Century Fox, earned almost as much as Murdoch, with compensation totaling $28 million, up just four percent from 2013.

Though Carey’s base salary stayed exactly the same year-over-year, his stock awards and non-equity incentive dipped, a $3.1 million change in pension/deferred comp more than made up for the decreases.

In addition to the reasons stated above in Murdoch’s section, Fox’s 34 percent increase in subscription revenues was primarily due to the effect of the consolidation of Sky Deutschland from January 2013. Its 17 percent increase in affiliate fees for fiscal 2014 was principally attributable to higher average rates per subscriber across most cable channels and the acquisition of majority interests in the YES Network and Fox Sports Asia (formerly ESPN Star Sports), among others.

Also Read: How 'Empire' and 'Last Man on Earth' Are Helping Fox Now App 'Crush' Other Network Streaming Tools

Apple CEO Tim Cook made $9.2 million in 2014, more than doubling his total take from 2013 ($4.3 million). Want a specific number? Sure: Cook took in 113 percent more this time around. His earnings rose in each of three categories: salary, non-equity incentives and the catch-all other compensation.

The majority of Cook’s paycheck came in the form of non-equity incentives: $6.7 million, up from last year’s $2.8 million. His salary this year was just under $1.75 million; Cook pulled in an additional $750,000 in other compensation.

Net sales for Apple rose 7 percent — or $11.9 billion — versus 2013, thanks mostly to the introduction of iPhones 5s, 5c, 6 and 6 plus. MacBooks Air and Pro, as well as increased iTunes sales also chipped in.

CBS President and CEO Les Moonves’ 2014 take slipped 14.5 percent to $57.2 million in 2014. Last year he earned a whopping $66.9 million. Moonves’ bonus took a $3.5 million hit from 2013, and his stock awards fell by about $12 million when compared to that prior 12-month period. Off-setting some of that was a sizable growth in options and a decent bump in pension.

CBS network remains the most-watched broadcast channel on TV. Last year, the inclusion of “Thursday Night Football” certainly helped matters. That said, the higher costs associated with the investment lowered adjusted OIBDA and thus, operating income.

While 2014 revenues were $13.81 billion compared with $14.01 billion in the prior year, the decline can pretty much be explained: CBS had the Super Bowl in 2013, not the following year.

Also Read: Apple Set to Launch 25-Channel Online TV Service (Report)

Ill and by all accounts far from able to run his company, Viacom founder Sumner Redstone, 91, still earned $13.2 million in 2014. That is down significantly from 2013’s take of $36.2 million, however. A small salary bump and better bonus couldn’t make up for the nearly $25 million devaluation of his pension and deferred compensation compared to the previous year.

Viacom profits reached a record $4.13 billion for fiscal 2014, thanks in large part to higher worldwide affiliate fees, which increased $415 million (10 percent) to nearly $4.7 billion, primarily driven by rate increases, as well as the benefit of distribution arrangements. Lowered operating expenses were a major contributor to that net increases as well.

Box office and home entertainment revenue both dropped by material numbers, however. Still, earnings per share for the year were at $5.40, also a record.

For his CBS post, Executive Chairman Sumner Redstone’s all-in compensation dropped 81.1 percent to $10.8 million. In 2013, he hauled in $57.2 million, ironically what Moonves made this year. While Redstone’s bonus dropped by $1 million, it was a massive pension gain from 2013 that came back down to Earth, making up a difference of more than $45 million dollars. Everything else was more or less the same year-over-year for the aging founder.

Also Read: Inside CBS's Blitz to Lock in Younger, Hipper Viewers: It's No Longer 'The Geezer Network'

Viacom President and CEO Philippe Dauman is always well compensated — even when the company is in the midst of downsizing. Dauman hauled in $44.3 million in 2014, up more than $7 million from the prior year. The top executive can credit his extra cash this past year to over $2 million more in stock awards than 2013, $1.5 million extra in options and $3.1 million more in an incentive bonus, among other year-over-year increases. All told, Dauman was up 16 percent year-over-year, and those big bucks should continue rolling in for Dauman, as he re-upped his Viacom contract through 2018.

During a November fiscal year-end investors call, Dauman found the silver lining of the tough domestic TV ratings situation his company finds itself in: “Despite ratings challenges and uncertainty in the scatter advertising market at the close of the year, Viacom’s advertising revenues grew in fiscal 2014, as our creative and marketing teams rolled out innovative new offerings.”

A month later, Stephen Colbert left Viacom’s cable channel Comedy Central. Not long after that, Jon Stewart announced he would follow suit in 2015, handing Dauman a major challenge to start the new fiscal year.

Also Read: Philippe Dauman Insists Viacom Has 'No Intention' of Buying CBS, Selling Paramount

A $22.8 million performance bonus and $17 million in stock awards sent Disney chief executive Bob Iger’s compensation soaring 35.6 percent over the previous year. It’s also up from 2012, when the Disney boss scored a cool $40.2 million.

Over the past 12 fiscal months, Iger’s salary remained unchanged at $2.5 million. But to that, add $8.9 million in stock awards and $8.3 million in option awards, which were also more or less stagnant. Iger also received a performance-based bonus of $22.810 million — that was the big change. In 2013, Iger’s non-equity incentive plan compensation was $13.6 million

The change in value to Iger’s pension was $2.8 million, which didn’t increase at all a year ago. All other compensation netted to $1.1 million –a slight uptick itself.

All that cash was thanks to Disney enjoying another record performance in fiscal 2014, posting $48.8 billion in revenue, up eight percent from the prior year. Net income was up 22 percent, diluted earnings jumped 26 percent. Media network revenue ticked up four percent, hitting $21.2 billion, with profits at $7.3 billion, thanks to shows like “Scandal.” ESPN was once again a boon to its parent company. The company’s film sector closed strongly with “Guardians of the Galaxy” opening in Q4; “Frozen” earlier in the year certainly didn’t hurt those gaudy figures.

Also Read: Franchise Fever Grips Hollywood: Who's Banking on What

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer probably never tires of looking at his pay stubs. The executive cleared a whopping $63.6 million in fiscal 2014, up a remarkable 404.8 percent from the prior 12-month period.

Feltheimer’s annual pay is $1.47 million, while his bonus hit $8.75 million. He has $11.65 million in restricted stock units coming to him over the next four years, while his stock options could be worth $41.5 million — which is included in overall executive compensation numbers — should Lionsgate’s stock rise to $41.31 from its current price of $31.70.

Motion Pictures revenues decreased for Lionsgate from fiscal 2013, more than offsetting slight TV sales gains — readers can flip-flop those two directions over on the expense side. Revenues from the TV production division ($447.4 million) and international operations ($39.7.1 million) both hit records.

Lionsgate’s roller-coaster stock (LFG) rose strongly over the first half of its fiscal 2014 year — from $23.45 per share to $37.46 per share — before beginning a fall slide that continued until its fiscal year-end, where it eventually closed at $26.73.

The exec’s deal is good through 2018.

Also Read: Lionsgate, Hunan TV Seal $375 Million Film, TV Financing Deal in China

Sony’s executive salaries were leaked during 2014’s hack, revealing that CEO Michael Lynton and then Co-Chairman Amy Pascal earned $3 million last year. But everyone in Hollywood knows that figure was far from their actual compensation, though it might have constituted their base pay. Pascal exited Sony in February with the hack happening on her watch and the leak of her emails publicly embarrassing the company.

Since Sony Pictures is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation, relevant Hollywood all-in executive compensation is not specified in SEC filings; however, an individual with knowledge of Lynton’s compensation estimates it to be closer to $15 million. The executive recently signed a new contract and hired Tom Rothman to replace Pascal.

Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav brought home $156.1 million in 2014, more than 368 percent higher than the $33.3 million he was paid in 2013.

As part of his negotiation to remain the Discovery boss through 2019, Zaslav received more than $94 million in new stocks and options, which made up the bulk of the insane increase in his compensation over the previous year. His base salary remained steady at $3 million.

Zaslav’s compensation, being so closely tied to the finances of the company, is all part of Discovery’s long-term plan for stability and success, according to regulatory filings.

Meanwhile, DISCA closed at $32.15 on Thursday before the weekend holiday, down from $83.04 a year ago. The company reported in February fiscal Q4 earnings results that full-year revenues of $6,265 million increased $730 million, or 13 percent, compared to the previous year.

Comcast Corporation Chairman, President and CEO Brian L. Roberts took home a bit more in 2014 than he did in 2013, totaling a rounded $33 million last year — an uptick of five percent.

Over the comparable 12-month period a year earlier, Roberts had brought in $31.4 million dollars. The difference this time around came mostly from a positive change in pension value and non-qualified deferred compensation earnings.

Despite a lackluster stock performance from Q1 2014 and another dip in the fall, company share prices rose steadily throughout the measured year. On Dec. 31, 2013, CMCSA closed at $51.97. Fast-forward one year, the stock finished at $58.01 per share.

Comcast is still on track to merge with Time Warner Cable, much to the dismay of competitors.

Late last month, the company promised $4 billion to form a new investment and operating company, which will pull Comcast CFO Michael Angelakis away.

Meanwhile, NBCUniversal President and CEO Steve Burke slightly topped Roberts, his parent company’s boss, hauling in $33.9 million dollars over the course of 2014. His year-over-year increase was a bit more than Roberts’ too, rising 9 percent from 2013’s $31.1 million take.

Burke’s salary rose a few hundred thousand dollars and his stock and options grew, as did his non-equity incentive plan compensation. Burke’s pension decreased in value, but he pulled in an extra million dollars-plus under the catchall of “All Other Compensation.”

NBCU saw 18 percent growth in operating cash flow over 2014, thanks to the Sochi Olympics and the company’s theme park opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley in Orlando. Broadcast network NBC also still boasts the top show on network TV, “Sunday Night Football,” which helps from an ad-sales standpoint.

Meanwhile, revenue for the company’s Filmed Entertainment segment’s full 2014 fiscal year fell 8.2 percent — NBCU’s only posted sales decline by either measurement period. That said, it was still the most profitable result in Universal Pictures’ history.

Netflix CEO, President and Chairman Reed Hastings hauled in $11.1 million for 2014, up approximately 44.2 percent from 2013’s take of $7.7 million. Hastings pulled in about an extra million bucks on the salary front, but his option awards made the difference this year, rising roughly $2.3 million.

If that jump seems large, there’s plenty of money coming in, too. For fiscal 2014, the company reported a rounded $5.505 billion in revenue, diluted EPS of $4.32, and net income of a rounded $267 million. Over the course of fiscal 2013, Netflix had $4.375 billion in revenue, EPS on $1.85 and net income of $112 million.

Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos made $8.8 million, up a more modest 17.3 percent growth. In 2013, Sarandos earned $7.5 million. The increase was fairly evenly distributed between a salary bump and options uptick.

The streaming giant added a record 13 million new subscribers across 2014, finishing its fiscal fourth quarter with 57.4 million global customers. Netflix forecasts that by the end of 2015, it will have 61.4 million global members.

Jeffrey Katzenberg (Mike Windle/Getty Images for Venice Family Clinic)” width=”640” height=”130” data-credit=”mike windle/getty images for venice family clinic” srcset=”http://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/jeffrey-katzenberg-300×61.jpg 300w, http://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/jeffrey-katzenberg.jpg 640w” sizes=”(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px” />

DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg made $6.4 million in 2014, down 52.7 percent from last year. The prior year, the company’s top exec earned a rounded $13.5 million.

The vast majority of that financial freefall was his non-equity incentive plan compensation, which was $6 million in 2013 and zero in 2014. His stock awards dropped by more than a million bucks, while other compensation ticked up just around $20,000 or so.

DWA took a bit of a bath last year, losing $247 million in the fourth quarter alone. The company began layoffs in early 2015 and will also scale back its film slate for the year.

“Although 2014 was a challenging year for our company, I am confident that our recent announcement to restructure our feature film business will enable us to deliver great films and better box office results, while improving the overall financial performance of our business,” Katzenberg said at the time. “And while 2015 will be a transitional year for us, I couldn’t be more confident for the future. We have a set of strategic imperatives in place designed to ensure sustainable and profitable growth over the long term.”

TheWrap will continue to update this list as executive compensation figures are reported. 

Linda Ge and Deborah Day also contributed to this report. 

Best of 'Office With a View' (Photos)

1 of 16

Great moments from TheWrap’s weekly interview series with Hollywood’s top executives

Follow along while we pick the brains of film and television's most influential decision-makers.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

Franchise Fever Grips Hollywood: Who's Banking on What

'Home' Box Office Holds Key to DreamWorks Animation's Bottom Line

Hollywood's Highest Paid Executives: Who Made Bank, Who Sank in 2013

↧

The Sony Emails: Hollywood Preserved in Amber

May 1, 2015, 8:59 am
$
0
0

In time, the treasure trove of Sony emails will cease to be a daily pipeline for gossip and schadenfreude and will harden, slowly, into a timeless artifact of Hollywood culture in the 21st century.

With distance, we will have an unprecedented 360-degree view into Hollywood’s cliqueish byways, its entitlement, pettiness, self-satisfaction and sweat-soaked fear. For those of us who know all too well the people involved, it’s literally too much information. Please don’t send me emails about someone’s marriage — I absolutely don’t want to know.

Also Read: 11 Revelations From WikiLeaks' Sony Hack Emails

And it’s still not over: on Friday morning WikiLeaks released thousands more emails.

But in the future, the flesh and blood people revealed in the emails will recede into archetypes of Tom Wolfe proportions: the self-obsessed, manic mogul, the quietly calculating studio boss, the professional sycophant.

The torrent of revelations has now become a trickle, but it continues nonetheless, and is no less damaging for that. The big reveal started with the document dump that laid bare the salaries of the top 20 executives making $1 million or more, and went on to expose how much less leading women were being paid at Sony over the men. We knew most of this, more or less — but here it was, in black and white, stamped on a spread sheet. (On the salary list, those who were absent — Andrew Gumpert, Hannah Minghella — were every bit as conspicuous as those who were included.)

Also Read: Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

It didn’t improve from there. The download of Amy Pascal‘s emails became a series of embarrassments -her too-chummy sharing with producer Scott Rudin, and their casual trashing of movie stars like Angelina Jolie and racially insensitive remarks about President Obama. The irony of firing her corporate communications chief over a petty matter involving a roundtable just days before the hack occurred. Now we knew.

And yet between those embarrassments Pascal emerges as an incredibly hard-working executive, scrambling to keep projects together, juggling budget and schedule while attempting to mollify difficult directors (calling David Fincher) and give moral support to others (Cameron Crowe).

Then, just when you thought it had all subsided, Julian Assange decided to throw open the gates of knowledge, tabulated, tagged and archived. The WikiLeaks archive landed and continues to spew forth smokey plumes of cynicism.

Getty Images

The revelations trundle forward. Never mind my own self, dismissed lightly as “crazy” by a Sony executive in one email, or competitor-colleagues like Janice Min and Matt Belloni who are deemed “moveable” by the same person. Never mind the unctuous exchanges of New York Times’ Brooks Barnes loving up Pascal (“All I saw today was an executive working her guts out, trying to be in two places at once, making the correct decision to keep her eye on the prize”) and then the other way around, Pascal gushing her “loving” Mike Fleming of Deadline.

The damage has gone far and wide. How did Dr. Mehmet Oz become a victim of North Korea? Leaked emails reflect business opportunities that he explored, along with worries that he was being accused and investigated over health claims he made on his show, produced by Sony.

How did Ben Affleck have to apologize, and PBS launch an internal investigation, over deleting the fact that Affleck’s ancestral past includes slaveowners? The Sony emails.

PBS

I keep veering between pity and disgust, and I don’t think I’m the only one. The latest Gawker story about Michael Lynton’s pulling of strings to help his daughter get into Brown would be of no business relevance except that it was Tom Rothman who made nice with the university president on Lynton’s behalf. And it was Rothman who was promoted to studio chief by Lynton just a few months later. That’s the stuff you never really put together.

Also Read: New Sony Movie Chief Tom Rothman Calls Studio 'Unbroken, Unbowed' After Hack

Information is all. Knowledge is everything. The Sony hack allows us to know more than we ever wanted to know, and ever thought possible. It has left a battlefield strewn with bodies, but once the flesh wounds have healed over and scar tissue formed, it is a museum piece for the ages.

11 Hollywood Hacker Movies: From an Angelina Jolie Stinker to a Potential Oscar Winner (Video)

1 of 11

Sony is reeling from being hacked, but Hollywood has been producing stories around cyber crime for years. Here are 11 of the most memorable.

"Hackers" (1995): It's only on the top of the list because of the name, since this cyberpunk adventure starring Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller and Matthew Lillard didn't exactly impress critics. It was, however, on the forefront of predicting a cyber crime wave that has finally hit Hollywood.
View In Gallery

Related stories from TheWrap:

Sony Leak: 28 Lies Hollywood Agents Tell Studio Executives About Their Actor Clients

↧

Robert Lawson Named Communications Chief at Sony Pictures

May 12, 2015, 10:36 am
$
0
0

Sony Pictures chairman Michael Lynton has installed Robert Lawson as Executive Vice President Chief Communications Officer at the studio, replacing former PR chief Charlie Sipkins who departed in the wake of the Sony hack.

“Bob comes to SPE after serving as an Executive Vice President at the strategic communications firm Rubenstein and having worked closely with SPE over the last several months as a consultant,” Lynton said in a statement Tuesday.

The move comes as no surprise given Lawson’s significant role in damage control attempts by Sony following the devastating studio hack in November.

Also Read: 11 Revelations From WikiLeaks' Sony Hack Emails

The communications post was left vacant for months while Sony picked up the pieces, having let go of Sipkins almost immediately after damaging emails showed contention between the executive, former co-chairman Amy Pascal and her husband Bernie Weinraub.

Lawson’s clients at Rubenstein included NewsCorp, the National Football League, Tribeca Enterprises/Tribeca Film Festival and the NYC Marathon. Prior to Rubenstein, he served as deputy press secretary for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Read the full memo from Lynton:

I am pleased to announce that Robert Lawson has been named Executive Vice President – Chief Communications Officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment, reporting directly to me and Nicole Seligman, President of Sony Entertainment.

Bob comes to SPE after serving as an Executive Vice President at the strategic communications firm Rubenstein and having worked closely with SPE over the last several months as a consultant. His corporate communications experience in the entertainment space and in other sectors has been enormously helpful to us and we look forward to expanding our work with him across the breadth of the SPE business.

As Chief Communications Officer Bob will be responsible for the development and implementation of SPE’s overall communications strategies and lead the company’s media relations, executive communications, crisis/issues management and thought-leadership activities. He will work closely with SPE’s communications teams in the Motion Picture and Television Groups, as well as the company’s global communications team in Tokyo.

Bob joins SPE after running a division at Rubenstein focused on corporate communications, crisis/issues management, thought-leadership and large-scale outreach campaigns. Over the last year he has worked with Sony Corporation of America on internal and external communications strategies and more recently with Sony Pictures Entertainment, first on the 2014 film Captain Phillips, and later on broader corporate communications after the 2014 cyber-attack. Prior to his work with SPE, Bob worked closely with Paramount Pictures while at Rubenstein, developing and implementing numerous internal and external communications strategies related to corporate positioning, restructuring and issues management as well as on various film-specific projects such as Oliver Stone‘s World Trade Center, Daren Aronofsky’s Noah and Michael Bay‘s Transformers franchise.

Some of Bob’s other clients at Rubenstein have included NewsCorp, the NFL, Tribeca Enterprises/Tribeca Film Festival, the NYC Marathon and Tishman Speyer. Prior to Rubenstein, Bob was a deputy press secretary for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. At the Mayor’s office his portfolio of agencies included the NYPD, FDNY, Criminal Justice, Parks, Office of Emergency Management, Law Department, Cultural Affairs and the Department of Education.
Please join me in welcoming Bob who will join our team on June 1.
-Michael

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

WikiLeaks Adds Thousands of Hacked Sony Emails

Ben Affleck, PBS Under Fire for Trying to Hide Star's Slave-Owning Ancestor

↧
↧

Prospects for Bradley Cooper-Emma Stone’s ‘Aloha’ Show How Hack Attack Still Haunts Sony

May 27, 2015, 5:35 pm
$
0
0

Box-office expectations for “Aloha” are very low going into Friday’s debut of writer-director Cameron Crowe‘s latest movie, an indicator of the difficulty Sony Pictures has had putting last year’s massive hack attack behind it.

“I don’t think this film has ever recovered from the buzz those emails started,” BoxOffice.com senior analyst Phil Contrino said ahead of release of the romantic comedy starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams and Bill Murray. He sees an opening in the low-teen millions for “Aloha,” the latest from the man behind hits “Jerry Maguire” and “Almost Famous.”

“Those emails” were from former Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal and leaked last December as part of the massive security breach triggered by the impending rollout of the Seth Rogen comedy about North Korea, “The Interview.”

Watch video: Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone Say 'Aloha' in First Trailer for Cameron Crowe Dramedy (Video)

The negative comments about “Aloha” were found among the more than 30,000 leaked Sony emails that included shots at A-list talent like Angelina Jolie and Leonardo DiCaprio, the studio’s strategic plans and financial and health data about employees and business partners.

An even bigger data dump came in March when Wikileaks released more than 200,000 Sony emails and documents, indexed for easy reference.

“I’m never starting a movie again when the script is this ridiculous,” Pascal wrote in a message found in the first batch, “and we all know it. I don’t care how much I love the director and the actors. It never not even once works.”

The film, which co-stars Alec Baldwin, John Krasinski and Danny McBride, didn’t impress Pascal. And she wasn’t keen on Crowe’s characters in the Hawaii-set tale of a defense contractor (Cooper) falling for an Air Force pilot (Stone), or Crowe’s response to changes the studio has suggested.

Also Read: Cameron Crowe Jokes About Bruce Jenner's Reported Transition in Leaked Sony Email

“There is no more to do. Cameron never really changed anything,” she wrote. “People don’t like people in movies who flirt with married people or married people who flirt.”

She took a shot at producer Scott Rudin, too, noting that he “didn’t once go to the set. Or help us in the editing room or fix the script.”

“Aloha” had plenty of time for fixes before Pascal chimed in. The project landed at Sony in 2008, with Ben Stiller and Reese Witherspoon in the lead roles. They dropped out and the film — at one point titled “Deep Tiki” — was in limbo for four years while Crowe tinkered with the script. Retitled “Aloha,” it was set for a Christmas Day release last year, then subsequently pushed to this date.

We’ll find out how accurate Pascal’s analysis is over the next few weeks. A mature-skewing film in a sea of summer sequels, “Aloha” was always a long shot to break out at the box office. And to what extent Pascal’s comments reverberate with moviegoers is hard to assess, but they aren’t going to help.

Also Read: Bradley Cooper in Talks to Direct 'A Star Is Born'; Beyonce Eyed for Lead

Reviews are embargoed until Thursday, and on social media, the film is pacing behind “This Is How I Leave You,” another romantic comedy that opened wide to $11.5 million in September and topped out at $41 million for Warner Bros.

That’s an OK number if your budget is $19 million, but “Aloha” cost $37 million, plus marketing.

“We have this movie in for a lot of dough and we better look at that” wrote Pascal in the earlier email, as Sony was in the midst of job cuts and a cost-cutting push.

But by Hollywood standards, it really isn’t a lot of dough. RatPac, Regency Enterprises, Scott Rudin Productions and Vinyl Films are all in and Fox is distributing overseas, so that will mitigate things if it does wind up in the red.

“Aloha” could surprise. Because it skews toward older moviegoers, the amount of the opening isn’t as important as word of mouth it draws. If it’s positive, the romantic comedy might provide an appealing alternative to younger-skewing summer fare and play steadily for weeks.

But if it’s negative, we’ll be saying “Aloha” quickly.

42 Summer Movies on Our Radar: From 'Avengers,' 'Jurassic World' to 'Magic Mike XXL' (Photos)

  • Avengers: Age of Ultron Marvel/Disney
  • Alchemy
  • IFC
  • Roadside Attractions
  • Warner Bros
  • Relativity
  • Warner Bros.
  • Universal
  • Twentieth Century Fox
  • Disney
  • Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone in 'Aloha' TrailerqBradley Cooper, Emma Stone in 'Aloha' Trailer Columbia Pictures/Twentieth Century Fox
  • San Andreas Warner Bros.
  • HBO/Warner Bros.
  • Twentieth Century Fox
  • Blumhouse
  • Chris Pratt in Jurassic World Legendary Pictures
  • Fox Searchlight
  • Open Road Films
  • Disney/Pixar
  • Ted 2 Universal Pictures
  • BatKid Begins: The Wish Heard Aound the World Warner Bros
  • Warner Bros
  • EuropaCorp
  • Magic Mike XXL, Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer Warner Bros.
  • 'Terminator Genisys' Arnold Schwarzenegger Paramount
  • Universal Pictures
  • Melissa Rauch in The Bronze Relativity
  • Focus Features
  • Marvel/Disney
  • Universal Pictures
  • IFC
  • Twentieth Century Fox
  • Columbia Pictures
  • The Weinstein Company
  • Sony Classics
  • Tom Cruise in "Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation" (Paramount) Paramount
  • A24
  • Twentieth Century Fox
  • Relativity
  • Warner Bros
  • Universal
  • Twentieth Century Fox
1 of 43

TheWrap Summer Movie Preview 2015: “Mission: Impossible 5,” “Entourage,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” also among season’s big releases

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

David Oyelowo on Potential Ava DuVernay Marvel Movie and Whether He Would Ever Play a Superhero

Robert Rodriguez to Direct 'Jonny Quest' Movie for Warner Bros., 'Suicide Squad' Producer

The Rock's 'San Andreas' to Quake and Bake to $40 Million at Box Office

↧

Sony Hack Documentary in the Works; Will Propose Alternative Theories to North Korea

June 2, 2015, 11:47 am
$
0
0

A documentary about last year’s cyberattack on Sony Pictures in retaliation for “The Interview” is in the works from Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer, the filmmakers behind Netflix’s Oscar-nominated 2013 documentary “The Square,” TheWrap has learned.

The untitled project will span from the day last November, when Sony received an ominous photo signaling the initial hack, to this February, when Amy Pascal resigned as co-chairman, leaving CEO Michael Lynton to handpick her successor.

Noujaim and Amer have been putting the film together under the radar and their research has led them to propose alternative theories about the hackers, who conspiracy theorists have suggested may not be from North Korea, which the FBI blamed for the attack along with President Obama. North Korea has publicly denied any responsibility for the attack.

Also Read: 11 Revelations From WikiLeaks' Sony Hack Emails

Some raised eyebrows over the fact that the hackers — calling themselves the Guardians of Peace — targeted select media outlets, including the Hollywood trades, to leak information to the press.

Mike Lerner (“Pussy Riot: A Punk’s Prayer”) is also producing the documentary with Noujaim and Amer, and the trio spoke to experts in cybersecurity and international politics. Noujaim and Amer were already working on a documentary about cyberterrorism when the Sony situation began to unfold. Their earlier film, “The Square,” took aim at the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.

The Sony hack continues to make Hollywood headlines several months later, as not only did Natalie Portman mention the incident during her recent Harvard commencement speech, but a treasure trove of leaked emails was also cited in reviews of Cameron Crowe‘s Sony movie “Aloha.” The incident will surely reverberate for years to come, and serve as a lesson to other studios about the importance of cybersecurity.

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

Prospects for Bradley Cooper-Emma Stone's 'Aloha' Show How Hack Attack Still Haunts Sony

WikiLeaks Adds Thousands of Hacked Sony Emails

New Sony Movie Chief Tom Rothman Calls Studio 'Unbroken, Unbowed' After Hack

↧
Search

Cameron Crowe Apologizes for Emma Stone’s Asian ‘Aloha’ Character: ‘Was Based on a Real-Life, Red-Head Local’

June 3, 2015, 7:37 am
$
0
0

Cameron Crowe has offered a “heart-felt apology” to those who were offended that Caucasian actress Emma Stone played a partially Asian character in “Aloha.”

“As far back as 2007, Captain Allison Ng was written to be a super-proud ¼ Hawaiian who was frustrated that, by all outward appearances, she looked nothing like one,” Crowe wrote on his website. “A half-Chinese father was meant to show the surprising mix of cultures often prevalent in Hawaii.”

“Extremely proud of her unlikely heritage, she feels personally compelled to over-explain every chance she gets,” he continued. “The character was based on a real-life, red-headed local who did just that.”

Also Read: Cameron Crowe Says 'Aloha' to Horrible Reviews: 10 Critics Who Slammed Bradley Cooper-Emma Stone Rom-Com

Crowe went on to say, however, that he worked with many Hawaiian locals on the film, “including Dennis “Bumpy” Kanahele, and his village, and many other locals who worked closely in our crew and with our script to help ensure authenticity.”

“Emma Stone was chief among those who did tireless research, and if any part of her fine characterization has caused consternation and controversy, I am the one to blame,” Crowe said.

Also Read: The Rock's 'San Andreas' Rumbles to $18 Million, 'Aloha' Anemic at Box Office

Crowe also said he felt the movie was misjudged based on comments made in leaked emails from Sony.

“From the very beginning of its appearance in the Sony Hack, ‘Aloha’ has felt like a misunderstood movie,” Crowe wrote. “One that people felt they knew a lot about, but in fact they knew very little.”

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

Sony Releases First Eight Minutes of 'Aloha' Online to Boost Box Office (Video)

'Aloha' Review: Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone Navigate Choppy Romantic Waters in Contrived Script

Prospects for Bradley Cooper-Emma Stone's 'Aloha' Show How Hack Attack Still Haunts Sony

↧

Sony Hack Aftershocks: Viacom Steps Up Cybersecurity With New Policy (Exclusive)

June 3, 2015, 1:47 pm
$
0
0

In the wake of the devastating Sony Pictures Entertainment hack last year, rival entertainment conglomerate Viacom has instituted a new company-wide cybersecurity measure that will automatically delete emails from employees’ in-boxes every 30 days, insiders tell TheWrap.

According to the source, starting in early May, the company began informing staffers on a rolling basis that they have 90 days to clean out their old email or put them somewhere safe before the new policy goes into effect. The first wave of email deletions should happen later this summer.

“However many emails you have piled up over the years, if you don’t do anything with them, they go away,” said another person, adding that the policy is “is consistent with industry best practices and is part of an annual review of security and records procedures.”

Also Read: Where Hollywood Hits the Mark on Hacking (Guest Blog)

This particular initiative is focused on email but is part of a wider examination of security firewalls across Hollywood after the disruption and public humiliation visited on Sony by hackers last November. The FBI has blamed North Korea, whose government publicly denies any involvement. A new documentary currently in production proposes alternative theories. 

It’s a sensitive issue. A Viacom spokesman declined to comment as did reps from other Hollywood studios, but insiders noted that beefed up measures are certainly in place across the industry. “It was obviously a situation that required action, and action was taken,” a person at another major studio tells The Wrap.

According to a recent study by Juniper Research, hacking could cost global businesses as much as $2.1 trillion through 2019.

Also Read: Amy Pascal Steps Down as Sony Pictures Chairman After Hack Debacle

A number of studio executives have acknowledged publicly that the Sony hack prompted high-level, full-scale reviews of security policy.

“Unfortunately, Sony was the siren song for a lot of other media companies to really get their houses in order,” Jason Glassberg, a co-founder of Casaba Security, which works with media companies to help secure systems and prevent malicious attacks.

Most of Sony Pictures Entertainment’s financial accounting applications and other critical information technology was offline for moths. Telephones were disabled and the release of financial results had to be postponed. And a tidal wave of embarrassing leaked emails forced the resignation of co-studio head Amy Pascal in February.

Also Read: North Korea Blasts US Over Sony Hacking Sanctions

“Email systems don’t offer any kind of privacy. Emails don’t disappear by themselves. If you don’t have any system that deletes them after a certain amount of time, they tend to live on in perpetuity, said Glassberg. “As  long as they exist somewhere on some server, there’s always the ability for someone to discover them and expose them.”

Sony Hack Attack Timeline: From First Cyberbreach and Leaks to 'The Interview' Release (Photos)

  • sony hack email nightmare
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen, "The Interview"
  • James Franco, Seth Rogen
  • Amy Pascal and Michael Lynton
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony Pictures
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • "hacked by #GOP" message found on Sony computers
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Tom Hanks
  • Amy Pascal, Steve Mosko of Sony
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • Sony Marketing Layoffs
  • Sony Pictures
  • Movie posters for the premiere of the film 'The Interview' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014. The film, starring US actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, is a comedy about a CIA plot to assassinate its leader Kim Jong-Un, played by Randall Park. North Korea has vowed 'merciless retaliation' against what it calls a 'wanton act of terror' -- although it has denied involvement in a massive cyber attack on Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film. AFP PHOTO/STR (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
  • The Throwaways
  • sony hack email nightmare
  • ArcLight Cinemas
  • Sony Chiefs Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton 'Deeply Saddened' Over Hacking Attack
  • Sony's logo on a wall
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • the interview hollywood tweets
  • Team America World Police
  • The Interview movie poster, Sony logo, President Obama
  • Mike Myers as Dr. Evil on "The Interview."
  • reince priebus republican chairman rnc
  • Sony attorney David Boies
  • sony hack email nightmare
1 of 67

See TheWrap’s blow-by-blow of 2014’s devastating cyberattack on the studio

News of a massive cyberbreach at Sony Pictures began leaking out in late November. Later reports indicated the studio had been warned weeks earlier.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

North Korea Blasts US Over Sony Hacking Sanctions

'The Interview' Takes in $15 Million From Online Opening

Should Media Publish Sony Hacked Information? Experts Weigh In

↧
↧

Emma Stone on Leak of Her Email in Sony Hack: ‘It Was Horrible. I Cried for Like an Hour’

June 17, 2015, 6:46 pm
$
0
0

It was bad enough that the Sony hack exposed Emma Stone‘s cellphone number and email address in a WikiLeaks a few weeks ago. But it was the response by the actress, who has starred in nine Sony films over her career, that did the real damage.

“I did one of the worst things ever, which was react really quickly,” Stone said in an interview Wednesday with the Wall Street Journal. “I was getting all these emails and texts from people I didn’t know — ‘Hi, I’m Joe from the U.K. I like your movies’ — and I was so overwhelmed that I went to my inbox and I deleted all my emails.”

Her impulsive act was as permanent as it was rapid. “In about a 30-second span, I hit ‘Select All’ and ‘Delete Forever,’ and thousands of emails, like six years of emails, are now gone forever,” she told the paper. “I was just so freaked out that someone was in there.”

Also Read: WikiLeaks Adds Thousands of Hacked Sony Emails

While no one appears to have logged into her personal email account, she still felt violated after receiving what she admits were about five emails and five texts from strangers.

She is still dealing with the fallout from her email-deleting reaction. “It was horrible. I cried for like an hour,” she said. “Most of the emails I’m mourning I can still talk to the person and get them back. But there’s others where the person is actually gone. It really sucks.”

The 26-year-old star, an Oscar nominee for last year’s “Birdman,” also told the paper that she turned down a role in Paul Feig‘s upcoming all-female remake of “Ghostbusters.”

Also Read: Sony Leak: 28 Lies Hollywood Agents Tell Studio Executives About Their Actor Clients

“The script was really funny,” she said, admitting that she was reluctant to leap into another multi-film franchises so soon after her back-to-back “Amazing Spider-Man” roles. “It just didn’t feel like the right time for me. A franchise is a big commitment — it’s a whole thing. I think maybe I need a minute before I dive back into that water.”

Speaking of commitments, the famously private actress sidestepped questions about the status of her relationship with longtime boyfriend and “Spider-Man” co-star Andrew Garfield amid widespread rumors of a recent breakup.

“See, I never talk about this stuff for this exact reason — because it’s all so speculative and baseless,” Stone told WSJ. “Once you start responding — once you’re like, ‘No, that’s not true’ — then they’re like, ‘Well, if we push enough, we’ll get a comment, so let’s see what else we can make up.'”

Also Read: 'Aloha' Review: Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone Navigate Choppy Romantic Waters in Contrived Script

She added, “It’s so special to me that it never feels good to talk about, so I just continually don’t talk about it.”

Read the full story on the Wall Street Journal.

11 Hollywood Stars Who Did Big Business on Broadway in 2014 (Photos)

  • Broadway.com
  • Denzel Washington stars in "A Raisin in the Sun" on Broadway with Anika Noni Rose and Sophie Okonedo Broadway.com
  • Hugh Jackman in The River Broadway.com
  • Broadway.com
  • Megan Mullally, Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane star in It's Only a Play Broadway.com
  • Broadway.com
  • Broadway.com
  • Broadway.com
1 of 8

These movie and TV veterans filled seats and drew legions of fans to the Great White Way

Neil Patrick Harris won a Tony award for "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," and was later replaced by Andrew Rannells and Michael C. Hall.

View In Gallery
Related stories from TheWrap:

Cameron Crowe Apologizes for Emma Stone's Asian 'Aloha' Character: 'Was Based on a Real-Life, Red-Head Local'

'Irrational Man' Cannes Review: Woody Allen Lets Emma Stone Shine

↧

Michael Lynton Says People Still Read His Stolen Sony Emails, Though He Hasn’t (Video)

October 6, 2015, 3:12 pm
$
0
0

Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said that he has never read the stolen Sony emails that were published on numerous websites and indexed on Wikileaks.

Appearing on a Vanity Fair-sponsored panel in San Francisco Tuesday, Lynton said that one year after a devastating cyberattack that nearly crippled the studio, people still come up to him to discuss his private correspondence.

“The part that was distressing was the extent to which people had decided to go through it,” he said. “You’d be sitting there at lunch — and it still happens — and they wander up to your table and say, ‘Oh, I just read through the correspondence you had with so-and-so. That was really interesting.’ And you’re sort of thinking to yourself, really? That seems an odd way to spend an afternoon.”

Also Read: Sony Reaches Settlement in Hacking Lawsuit

Lynton seemed to assign partial blame for the widespread publication of Sony’s leaked emails to Julian Assange, whose Wikileaks made the trove easy to search.

“I haven’t even been back through any of the Wikileaks stuff,” said Lynton, who previously condemned the publishing of Sony’s stolen emails on the basis that they weren’t newsworthy.

Asked why former Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal wasn’t “fired earlier” when sexist and racist emails between her and producer Scott Rudin were made public, Lynton said he believed that their private correspondence was “taken out of context” and that “Amy did not leave the company because of those e-mails.”

The Scene at TheGrill 2015: TheWrap's Media Leadership Conference (Photos)

  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Getty Images
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • AwesomenessTV CEO Brian Robbins Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Alison Buck/Getty Images
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
  • Megan Mack for TheWrap
1 of 99

Entertainment, media and technology converge at TheWrap’s sixth annual Grill Conference at the Montage Beverly Hills

View In Gallery
↧

Bradley Cooper Defends Jennifer Lawrence’s Attack on Hollywood’s Gender Pay Gap (Video)

October 13, 2015, 3:30 pm
$
0
0

Jennifer Lawrence‘s essay slamming the gender wage gap in Hollywood is getting support from at least one big Hollywood name: her “Silver Linings Playbook” co-star Bradley Cooper.

“One thing I could say is that’s interesting because if you think that you only deserve a certain amount and that’s not correct, it’s about changing that mindset and sticking up for yourself,” Cooper told E! News on Tuesday, while acknowledging he hadn’t read the article in its entirety. “So, that’s a great thing.”

Lawrence admitted that she “failed as a negotiator” in an op-ed piece titled, “Why Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars?” published in Lena Dunham‘s feminist newsletter, “Lenny,” on Tuesday. She explained that she “gave up early” because wanted to be liked.

“When the Sony hack happened and I found out how much less I was being paid than the lucky people with dicks,” Lawrence wrote.

Also Read: Jennifer Lawrence's Essay on Gender Pay Disparity in Hollywood Ignites Social Media Debate

The Academy Award-winning actress went on to say that she wasn’t angry at men in the industry when she learned she had been paid less than her male “American Hustle” co-stars — a startling fact revealed by emails leaked in the Sony hack — she was disappointed at herself for not fighting for more money.

In fact, an email between Andrew Gumpert, president of business affairs for Columbia Pictures and Sony co-chair Amy Pascal and Doug Belgrad, president of SPE Motion Picture group, revealed that Lawrence made two points less than her male costars for the film “American Hustle.”

“Got a steve warren/gretchen rush call that it’s unfair the male actors get 9 percent in the pool and jennifer is only at 7pts,” Gumpert wrote. “You may recall Jennifer was at 5 (amy was and is at 7) and WE anted in 2 extra points for Jennifer to get her up to 7. If anyone needs to top jennifer up it’s megan [producer Megan Ellison]. BUT I think amy and Jennifer are tied so upping JL, ups AA.”

Also Read: Jennifer Lawrence Is Over Getting Paid Less Than 'Lucky People With Dicks' in Hollywood

Gumpert added: “The current talent deals are: O’Russell: 9 percent; Cooper: 9 percent; Bale: 9 percent; Renner: 9 percent; Lawrence: 7 percent; Adams: 7 percent.”

Watch Cooper’s comments here.


The Evolution of Jennifer Lawrence: From 'Monk' Mascot to Katniss Everdeen (Photos)

1 of 43

The Oscar-winning actress’ rise to Hollywood stardom, from her small screen debut in MTV’s “My Super Sweet 16” to her Golden Globe-nominated turn in “Joy”

Jennifer Lawrence's small-screen debut was this MTV "My Super Sweet 16" promo.

View In Gallery

Related stories from TheWrap:

Jennifer Lawrence Exits Sony's 'The Rosie Project'

Brie Larson in Talks to Replace Jennifer Lawrence in Lionsgate's 'Glass Castle'

Jennifer Lawrence Rallies Rebels in Final Trailer for 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2' (Video)

↧
Viewing all 96 articles
Browse latest View live
More Pages to Explore .....
Search

Latest Images

New $4.5 million East Bay trail path will connect bicyclists, pedestrians to...

New $4.5 million East Bay trail path will connect bicyclists, pedestrians to...

April 18, 2024, 11:05 am
Photographer Gifts for Clients / Print Packaging / 4x6 Photo Box by...

Photographer Gifts for Clients / Print Packaging / 4x6 Photo Box by...

April 17, 2024, 6:48 pm
Deepfake Video of Aamir Khan circulates Online

Deepfake Video of Aamir Khan circulates Online

April 17, 2024, 3:07 am
Very Hungry Caterpillar™ Shirt: World of Eric Carle™+ Little Goodall by...

Very Hungry Caterpillar™ Shirt: World of Eric Carle™+ Little Goodall by...

April 14, 2024, 8:14 am
Have you seen Michael Wines? Burien man has been missing since Saturday,...

Have you seen Michael Wines? Burien man has been missing since Saturday,...

April 12, 2024, 3:59 pm
Stay Salty POTS Awareness Stretchy Stacking Bracelets | Set of Three|...

Stay Salty POTS Awareness Stretchy Stacking Bracelets | Set of Three|...

April 11, 2024, 5:27 pm
19 Reader-Favourite March Purchases — From Steals To Splurges

19 Reader-Favourite March Purchases — From Steals To Splurges

April 11, 2024, 5:07 am
Fake lip ring, silver lip ring, simple lip ring, unisex lip ring by AIRlab

Fake lip ring, silver lip ring, simple lip ring, unisex lip ring by AIRlab

April 9, 2024, 4:00 pm
People's Blog • First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

People's Blog • First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

April 8, 2024, 1:08 pm
People's Blog • First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

People's Blog • First Pictures of the Eclipse ! ! !

April 8, 2024, 1:08 pm