Want to see "The Interview"? So do a lot of other would-be moviegoers, dissatisfied with Sony Pictures' decision this week to scrap the controversial film (which depicts the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un). And some have whipped up online petitions in an attempt to change studio executives' minds.
Sony's decision -- made following terror threats sent by the hacker group responsible for breaching the corporation's computer systems in November -- was met with plenty of criticism this week. On Friday, President Barack Obama said Sony "did the wrong thing." Writer and producer Aaron Sorkin called the ordeal "an unprecedented attack" on free speech, while celebrities posted reactions on Twitter in various shades of disgust.
The hackers, of course, were pleased with the company's decision. The group, which the FBI has claimed is connected to North Korea, released a statement calling the decision "very wise" and suggested additional leaks would not be made unless the studio "made additional trouble."
For those who would like Sony to do just that, options are limited. The studio, which not even George Clooney could convince industry leaders to defend, has said it has no plans to release the film in any form. But petitioners hope Sony might listen to the voice of the people.
From Change.org: "Please release 'The Interview' and stop letting terrorists decide which movies Americans get to see."
From the statement:
When Sony and the major theater groups declined to release "The Interview" because hackers threatened us and told them not to, they literally negotiated with terrorists. And, as even a cursory knowledge of modern American cinema would tell you, negotiating with terrorists is bad.
From We the People: "Urge Sony pictures to release the film 'The Interview' and protect our 1st Amendment."
From the statement:
We want our government to defend our first amendment by urging Sony to release "The Interview" and offer protection to movie goers as well as those involved in the production of the movie.
The White House is expected to respond to any We the People petition that receives more than 100,000 signatures within 30 days. You can also add your signature here.
Will signatures get anything done? We can't say. Although their exact impact remains unquantified, online petitions have achieved results in the past.
And besides, there's always the (very, very) slim chance Sony lets Gawker screen the film instead.
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