The president and CEO of Sony spoke out about the cyberattack endured by the company and its decision to release the film “The Interview,” calling freedom of speech an “important lifeline” of the entertainment industry.
Speaking ahead of the company’s presentation at the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Monday, Sony Corp. CEO Kazuo Hirai eased into his address of the Sony hack attack with a joke, as reports Deadline Hollywood.
“How many of you went to see a great Sony movie this holiday?” he asked, prompting cheers from the audience. “That’s great. ‘Annie’ is a fantastic movie.”
Hirai labeled the cyberattack — which was perpetrated by North Korea in an effort to squash “The Interview” — “one of the most vicious and malicious cyberattacks we’ve known.”
“Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association are important lifelines of Sony and the entertainment business,” declared Hirai as he upheld the company’s decision to release the film in some movie theaters and online.
The CEO applauded those “who stood up to the extortionists” and “worked tirelessly to bring ‘The Interview’ to [U.S. and Canadian] audiences.”
He also expressed his gratitude to “members of the media who supported [the] launch” as well as audiences who supported freedom of speech by watching the film.
The movie reportedly raked in an impressive $15 million in the first four days of its release.
