It was pretty inevitable that some heads would roll for the cyber attacks that brought an entire Hollywood studio to its knees. And now it’s official: Sony co-chairman and studio head Amy Pascal will step down.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, “the move has been widely expected ever since the studio became engulfed in one of the worst cyber attacks in corporate history and certainly the most embarrassing hit ever taken by a major Hollywood institution in the digital age.”
Sony announces that Pascal will launch a new production venture at the studio. Her contract was expiring in March, and she’ll move on in May to a new four-year agreement. She was one of “Hollywood’s longest-serving studio heads and the industry’s most prominent female executive,” according to THR. She also spearheaded the highest-grossing superhero franchise of all time with Spider-Man, which pulled in $4 billion.
“I have spent almost my entire professional life at Sony Pictures and I am energized to be starting this new chapter based at the company I call home,” she said in a statement. “I have always wanted to be a producer. (Sony Entertainment CEO) Michael (Lynton) and I have been talking about this transition for quite some time, and I am grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to pursue my long-held dream and for providing unparalleled support.
“As the slate for the next two years has come together, it felt like the right time to transition into this new role. I am so grateful to my team, some of whom I have worked with for the last 20 years and others who have joined more recently. I am leaving the studio in great hands. I am so proud of what we have all done together and I look forward to a whole lot more.”
In case you forgot, the Sony hack, perpetrated by a group calling itself Guardians of Peace, made tons of sensitive information public, including personnel info, film budgets and thousands of emails to and from Pascal, including the doozy that dissed Angelina Jolie. The hack was blamed on North Korea, but honestly, we still don’t know who all was involved. Reports this week are even bringing Russia into the picture. The hack was said to be instigated by Seth Rogen and James Franco’s funny-but-forgettable comedy The Interview, which if you haven’t seen it, is now streaming on Netflix.