An “early version” of the screenplay for the new James Bond film was the latest victim of a massive hacking attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment, its producers said in a statement on their website on Sunday (14th Dec).
The news came less than two weeks after details of the new Bond movie “Spectre”, starring Daniel Craig and Christoph Waltz, were unveiled.
Eon Productions confirmed “that an early version of the screenplay for the new Bond film SPECTRE is amongst the material stolen and illegally made public by hackers who infiltrated the Sony Pictures Entertainment computer system”. It expressed concern that whoever carried out the hack could try and publish the “stolen” screenplay and vowed to take “all necessary steps” to protect their legal rights.
Hollywood giant Sony Pictures Entertainment has been hit by a string of embarrassing leaks following a huge hack, which some have blamed on North Korea after its anger at the forthcoming movie “The Interview”, which lampoons its leader, Kim Jong-Un.
Mashable was one of the first few media outlets to pick up on the news of the initial hack. On 25th Nov, the site reported that Sony Pictures Entertainment’s computer network has been breached in a hack that reportedly forced the company to completely shut its systems. An image appeared on all of Sony Pictures’ computer screens, saying that the system has been hacked by #GOP, which stands for hacker group “Guardians of Peace”.
The leaks revealed a producer, Scott Rudin, describing Angelina Jolie as a “minimally talented spoiled brat” plus racially insensitive exchanges about US President Barack Obama between Rudin and co-chairwoman Amy Pascal.
“Spectre” is due to hit screens worldwide on November 6 next year and also features Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux.
Source: CNA.
