Unreleased Sony's films leaked to file sharing websites

The short version: Days after hackers calling themselves the "Guardians of Peace" crippled Sony Pictures' corporate systems, at least five Sony films showed up on file-sharing networks — including titles that had not yet reached home viewers. It was one of the most damaging leaks in Hollywood history.

On the morning of November 24, 2014, Sony employees arrived to find a red skeleton on their screens and the words "Hacked by #GOP," with a warning that the group's "secrets and top secrets" would be released. Within days, file-sharing hubs were circulating DVD-quality copies of Annie, Fury, Mr. Turner, Still Alice, and To Write Love on Her Arms — Brad Pitt's Fury drew the heaviest traffic. Many of the copies carried watermarks, suggesting they were pulled from the studio's own internal systems.

Investigators were already examining a possible link between the attack and Sony's then-upcoming comedy The Interview, whose plot — involving the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — had drawn Pyongyang's anger. The hack would eventually grow into one of the biggest cybersecurity stories of the decade, with the FBI formally attributing it to North Korea.

Sony called the leak a criminal matter: "The theft of Sony Pictures Entertainment content is a criminal matter, and we are working closely with law enforcement to address it," a spokeswoman said.

---

Reporting drawn from Variety's coverage, November 29, 2014: Sony's New Movies Leak Online Following Hack Attack, Sony Targeted by Apparent Hack Attack, Sony Looking Into Possible North Korea Link.