October 2013

Initial casting revealed for Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy The Interview.

November 2013

First pictures from The Interview released.

June 11

First trailer for The Interview released.

June 20

• North Korean officials call The Interview a symbol of the “desperation” of US society, but an unofficial spokesperson for Kim Jong-un says he’ll probably watch it anyway.

June 25

• North Korea steps up its reaction, promising a “merciless response” and warning the US government that failure to stop the film being released would be considered an “act of war”.

• Seth Rogen responds irreverently on Twitter.

People don't usually wanna kill me for one of my movies until after they've paid 12 bucks for it. Hiyooooo!!! — Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) June 25, 2014

July 10

• North Korea complains to the UN about The Interview. In a letter to Ban Ki-moon, UN ambassador Ja Song Nam writes:



To allow the production and distribution of such a film on the assassination of an incumbent head of a sovereign state should be regarded as the most undisguised sponsoring of terrorism as well as an act of war. The United States authorities should take immediate and appropriate actions to ban the production and distribution of the aforementioned film; otherwise, it will be fully responsible for encouraging and sponsoring terrorism.

14 August

• Sony say that may remove a scene in which Kim Jong-un’s face is shown melting off in the wake of North Korean complaints. They will also digitally alter thousands of military buttons shown in the film that are accurate copies of those worn by real North Korean soldiers. The buttons reportedly honour Kim and his late father Kim Jong-il, and their depiction would be seen as blasphemy by the regime in Pyongyang.





17 October

• Seth Rogen claims that Kim Jong Un’s 40-day absence act is a promotional stunt for his new film.





Photograph: Darryl Dyck/AP

24 November

• Sources within Sony report that they have been hacked and blackmailed by a group leaving the message:



Hacked by #GOP. Warning: We’ve already warned you, and this is just the beginning. We have obtained all your internal data including secrets and top secrets.

27 November

Seth Rogen invites fans to “get baked” with him at a Colorado (where marijuana is legal) screening of The Interview on 8 December

1 December

• Key Sony Christmas and awards titles such as Fury, Mr Turner and Annie released online by hackers.

• Suspicions rise that North Korea may be behind the attack, though some analysts remain sceptical.



2 December

• FBI begins investigations into North Korean involvement in the hack.

3 December

• The Guardians of Peace group appear to have used the infrastructure of Sony’s PlayStation Network to spread a huge amount of stolen Sony Pictures’ data.

Sony Pictures HQ in LA. Photograph: BRENDAN MCDERMID/EPA

4 December

• North Korea denies involvement in the hack.

• Seth Rogen and James Franco’s fees for the film revealed in leaked email.

5 December

• Journalists begin sifting the leaked emails and documents, finding 47,000 social security numbers, credit card and passport details.

6 December

• Fusion reveals striking pay discrepancies between Sony employees of different genders and ethnicities.

8 December

• North Korea says Sony cyber-attack may be “righteous” work of its supporters but denies any direct responsibility.

9 December

• Guardians of Peace issue message demanding Sony pull The Interview:

Stop immediately showing the movie of terrorism which can break the regional peace and cause the War.

• Ex-employees of Sony begin expressing frustration at apparent lack of communication from the studio.



Angelina Jolie and Amy Pascal at the Women in Entertainment breakfast, 10 December. Photograph: Action Press/REX

10 December

• Defamer uncovers embarrassing emails between Sony co-chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin, charting the breakdown of their professional relationship, and discussing Angelina Jolie, David Fincher and Adam Driver.

• The Wall Street Journal uncovers communications between Sony and Marvel discussing a Spider-Man crossover and speaking disparagingly about Spider-Man star Andrew Garfield.

• FBI expresses scepticism about North Korea link.

11 December

• Low-key Los Angeles premiere of The Interview proceeds as planned, but with scaled back media opportunities.

• FBI says that leak would have challenged government data.

• Scott Rudin and Amy Pascal apologise for insensitive emails about Barack Obama.

December 12

• Embargo lifts on reviews of The Interview. Film wins warm if not ecstatic notices, with critics noting that Kim Jong-un is portrayed in a surprisingly positive light.

• Confirmation comes through that Japanese CEO of Sony persuaded Seth Rogen to tone down Kim Jong-un death scene.

• Pay, budget and plot details concerning new James Bond film revealed.

• Guardians of Peace threaten to leak other studios’ data.

December 13

• Leaked email reveals surprising discrepancies in pay packets for male and female stars, including Jennifer Lawrence.

14 December

Daniel Craig at the Spectre launch at Pinewood. Photograph: Ian West/PA

• Draft script for new Bond film, Spectre, leaked.

• Sony orders news outlets to stop reporting using the stolen data.

15 December



• Aaron Sorkin attacks news outlets such as New York Post, the Daily Beast and the Huffington Post for reporting on information stolen in the hack, calling them more “morally treasonous” than hackers themselves.

• Brad Pitt joins backlash, saying that conversations should remain private and news organisations shouldn’t collude with terrorists in disseminating them.

• Seth Rogen gives an interview to Howard Stern saying that media organisations are directly profiting from stolen information.

16 December

• Guardians of Peace warn audiences cinemas screening The Interview may be subject to 9/11 style attack

• Two former Sony employees launch class-action suit against studio claiming they were negligent in guarding their networks.

• New York premiere of The Interview – scheduled for 18 December – cancelled.

• James Franco and Seth Rogen cancel planned promotional appearances.

• Carmike Cinemas first chain to cancel all screenings of the film.

• Department of Homeland Security dismisses “active” threat.

Sony HQ in Tokyo. Photograph: Eugene Hoshiko/AP

17 December

• Rival studios express disquiet over knock-on effect for Christmas box office of threat by Guardians of Peace.

• Stocks fall in major cinema chains, who begin cancelling screenings of The Interview, following Sony’s message that the decision on whether to do so rests with them.

• Sony announces that it is to cancel theatrical release of The Interview but insiders tell Variety is is considering a premium Video on Demand release.

• Reddit bans users for sharing hacked Sony documents.

18 December

• FBI announces that it is set to connect North Korea to the Sony hack after all.

• Sony cancels DVD and VOD release of the film as well as theatrical.

• Obama calls for calm amid fresh threats of terrorism.

• Some cinema chains declare that they will screen Team America: World Police – which baits Kim Jong-il – rather than The Interview.

• George Clooney attacks media and other studios for not supporting Sony.

19 December

• FBI concludes North Korea responsible for hack.

• Obama says Sony made a mistake in pulling movie.

• Sony CEO denies that they made a mistake.

• North Korea proposes joint inquiry into hack with US

20 December

What crisis? PR guru Judy Smith Photograph: The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images

• Sony hires spin doctor Judy Smith to help manage fallout.

• US says may put North Korea back on state terror list after Sony ‘cybervandalism’ by Obama says hack was not an act of war.

• US seeks China’s help in attack

21 December

• North Korea says it has evidence US government deeply involved in making of The Interview and threatens entire country in retaliation for any ‘proportional response’

• Cinema chains hit back at Sony, saying they wanted release delayed not cancelled

• Republican National Committee urges cinemas to screen The Interview and party supporters to buy tickets

• Mike Myers’s Dr Evil comments on Saturday Night Live

22 December

• Sony Japan to take greater control of company

• YouGov poll suggests the scandal has damaged the Sony brand

• Sony threatens Twitter with legal action for publishing email leaks

• George RR Martin offers to screen The Interview at his own cinema

• Rumours that US is behind mysterious shutdown of North Korean internet access

23 December

• Sony approves limited US release of The Interview on Christmas Day

• North Korean internet resumes

24 December

US president Barack Obama Photograph: Susan Walsh/AP

• White House approves of the decision to screen both in cinemas and online.

• Cinema owners express anger at Sony U-turn.

• Studios and talent agencies say they never received George Clooney’s petition.

• Sony announces it will stream The Interview online from 10am PST, 1pm ET: $6 to rent, $15 to own through YouTube Movies, Google Play, Xbox Videos, and a dedicated website SeeTheInterview.com.

• The Guardian liveblogs online premiere.

25 December

• Film releases theatrically in the US.

28 December



Interview here ... the iTunes store Photograph: NetPhotos/Alamy

29 December



30 December



31 December