Sony Pictures CEO: Call to Google got ‘The Interview’ out

Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton said Sony always planned to release “The Interview,” — it just initially didn’t know how to. Lynton called Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, who he recalled told him: “This is what we’ve been waiting for.” Schmidt then agreed to help get the film out on Google Play and YouTube. Sony built its own website and Microsoft’s Xbox and Apple’s iTunes also ultimately agreed to release the film, Lynton said. Sony purposely priced the online version of “The Interview” at $5.99 rather than a typical $9.99 or higher to avoid accusations of price gouging and to ensure more people could see it after the free speech criticisms it had weathered.

You would never take a movie of this size and do what we did with it in the end. It’s true, it proved to be that kind of experiment, but it certainly wasn’t planned.

Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton

The movie launched online on Christmas Eve and independent theaters also stepped up to screen the film on Christmas Day. Sony became an unintended test piece in a new film release strategy of putting out streaming video at the same time as a theatrical release. Meanwhile, most forensic on-site work at Sony is complete and remaining techs are focused on getting the system back online. Lynton said it’s likely another week before email is back up and running and two to three weeks before the network as a whole is back online. The company is now working on identifying lessons learned and trying to determine what should or shouldn’t be changed going forward.

I know that we were adequately prepared…Just not for an attack of this nature. Nobody could have withstood an attack of this nature.

Lynton on the company’s technology and security

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