The hackers who broke into Sony Pictures have said they will not leak any more data, because The Interview will now no longer be released.

In an email sent to top Sony executives on 18 December, two days after it was decided the film would be cancelled, the hackers said Sony Pictures would be left alone, for now.

Reported by CNN, the email read: "It's very wise that you have made a decision [to] cancel the release of The Interview. It will be very useful for you."

The hackers signed off on a positive but ominous note, saying: "We will assure the security of your data unless you make additional trouble."

This additional trouble includes letting anyone see the film. "Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy," the hacker's email said, adding: "And we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately."

Later today the FBI is expected to announce that North Korea is to blame for the hack, and that there may have been a Chinese involvement. A statement is due to be published before President Obama's speech at 1:30pm EST on 19 December.

Although in recent days it was thought the hack had come from an insider or disgruntled former Sony Pictures employee, the hack was previously linked to North Korea due to it targeting of The Interview, a comedy where Seth Rogen and James Franco attempt to assassinate the country's president Kim Jong-un.