U.S. Department of Homeland Security Says ‘No Credible Intelligence’ to Support ‘The Interview’ Threats
U.S. officials have spoken out to calm fears of terrorist attacks at cinemas showing James Franco and Seth Rogen’s new movie The Interview, insisting there is “no credible intelligence” to suggest a plot is underway.
The movie’s premiere in New York City on Thursday has been called off after the group responsible for the Sony Pictures hacking threatened to target any venues screening The Interview, including the red carpet event in the Big Apple.
Franco and his co-star Seth Rogen also canceled all their upcoming promotional appearances amid heightened security fears, while bosses of one movie theater chain, Carmike Cinemas, decided to pull The Interview from its schedule.
Police chiefs in Los Angeles have insisted they will be stepping up security at screenings of the film.
However, a representative for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) insists there is no evidence to suggest the terror plot is real, telling Reuters, “At this time there is no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theatres within the United States.”
The Interview‘s story about the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has caused controversy, and the studio behind the film, Sony Pictures, was targeted by a hacking group named Guardians of the Peace which has been leaking private emails, celebrities’ personal details and even the new Bond movie script since breaking into the company’s databases last month.
The film is due for release in the U.S. on Christmas Day.
You can read all of our coverage on the leaked Sony documents here: Sony Leak.
Photo Credit: The Interview Instagram
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