A Movie That Made Someone Mad
It was a sunny day in Hollywood when Amy Pascal walked into her office at Sony Pictures. She was excited about their new movie called "The Interview." But she didn't know this movie would cause big trouble.
"This is going to be so funny!" Amy told her friend. The movie was about two silly TV guys who go to North Korea to meet their leader, Kim Jong-un. In the movie, they try to make him go away forever.
"We make lots of movies," Amy said. "Why would anyone get mad about this one?"
But someone did get mad. Very mad.
North Korea heard about the movie and didn't like it one bit. They sent angry letters to Sony. They said making fun of their leader was very bad.
Important Fact: North Korea is a country where people aren't allowed to make jokes about their leader.
Seth Rogen, who made the movie, tried to make things better. "It's just for fun," he said. "We're not trying to hurt anyone."
But the angry letters kept coming. More and more people started talking about the movie. Some said it was okay to make funny movies. Others said it might make North Korea too angry.
The Warning Signs
One day, Amy got a strange email. It said: "Stop the movie, or else!" She showed it to her friend Michael.
"Should we be worried?" she asked.
Michael shook his head. "Lots of people send weird emails. We'll be fine."
But they weren't fine. Not at all. Strange things started happening to their computers. The screens would flash weird messages. Some people couldn't open their files.
Fun movies usually make people happy. But this one made some people very upset. It was like throwing a rock at a big beehive - the bees get angry and want to sting back.
Nobody knew it yet, but Sony Pictures was about to have its worst days ever. The movie about making someone go away was about to make a lot of things disappear - but not in the way anyone expected.
Outside Sony's big building, everything looked normal. People went to work like any other day. Cars drove by in the warm California sun. ☀️ But inside the computers, something bad was growing. Something that would soon make everyone very scared.
"Maybe we should be more careful," Amy said one evening, looking at another strange message on her screen.
But it was too late. The trouble had already begun, and it was bigger than anyone could have guessed. Much, much bigger.
The movie wasn't even in theaters yet, but it was already causing more drama than any movie Sony had ever made. And the real show was just about to begin...
Some people say you should be careful what you wish for. Others say you should be careful what you make movies about. At Sony Pictures, they were about to learn both lessons the hard way.Digital Shadows Strike
The morning started like any other at Sony Pictures. People typed on computers and drank coffee. But something was different. Something scary.
Sarah, who worked with computers at Sony, noticed it first. "My computer is acting weird," she said. The screen showed a red skull and scary words.
"We are Guardians of Peace. All your secrets will be shown to the world!"
Nobody knew who these "Guardians of Peace" were. But they were about to cause big trouble.
Warning Sign: More than 25 Sony workers saw the scary skull on their screens that morning.
The Quiet Attack
Bad people had sneaked into Sony's computers. Like thieves in the night, they took lots of secret stuff:
• Movies that weren't in theaters yet
• Emails between important people
• Secret plans for new movies
• Information about Sony workers
Tom, the computer safety helper, ran from room to room. "Turn off your computers!" he shouted. "Unplug everything!"
"But I need to finish my work," said Mary from the movie team.
"Not today," Tom said. "Today we have a big problem."
Think of it like someone breaking into your toy box and threatening to show everyone your secret drawings. But this was much bigger - these were grown-up secrets worth millions of dollars!
Panic Spreads
Workers couldn't use their computers. They had to write with paper and pens, just like in old times. ✏️ Phone calls didn't work right. Even the cafeteria couldn't take credit cards!
"Who would do this to us?" Amy asked during a scared meeting.
Michael looked worried. "Remember those angry messages about our movie? Maybe it's the same people."
The hackers were like invisible bullies, breaking things and making threats. But nobody could see them or catch them.
The First Demands
The bad people sent a message: "Stop the movie about North Korea, or we'll share all your secrets!"
Sony's leaders had to make a hard choice. Should they:
❌ Stop the movie and let the bad guys win?
✅ Keep going and risk more trouble?
Meanwhile, computer experts tried to fix things. They worked day and night, like doctors trying to make a sick patient better.
Big Problem: The hackers didn't just break things - they took copies of everything they found. It was like they had keys to all of Sony's secret rooms.
Outside, news people started asking questions. "What's happening at Sony?" they asked. "Who are these Guardians of Peace?"
But inside Sony's offices, people already knew - this was just the beginning. The scary skull on their computers wasn't just a warning. It was a promise of worse things to come.
As the sun set that day, Sony's workers went home worried. They didn't know that tomorrow would bring even bigger surprises. Their secret stuff was about to spread all over the internet, like leaves in a strong wind. Secrets Spill Out
The sun rose on a terrible morning for Sony. The hackers kept their promise. All the secret stuff they stole started showing up on the internet!
Breaking News: Five new Sony movies appeared online before they were supposed to be in theaters!
Movies Leak Out
Sally from the movie team cried when she saw "Annie" online. "We worked so hard on that movie," she said. "Now anyone can watch it for free!"
The stolen movies were:
• Annie
• Fury
• Still Alice
• Mr. Turner
• To Write Love on Her Arms
People downloaded these movies millions of times. It was like someone opened the doors to Sony's movie theater and let everyone walk in without paying!
Email Trouble
But the movies weren't the worst part. The hackers shared lots of emails too!
"It's like someone took our private diary and read it to the whole school," said Bob, a Sony boss.
Some emails showed Sony leaders saying mean things about movie stars. Other emails had secret plans and passwords. Even workers' private information got shared!
Imagine if someone took your private notes and stuck them on the school bulletin board. That's how Sony's workers felt!
Phones Start Ringing
"Ring! Ring! Ring!" The phones at Sony wouldn't stop.
"Is my information safe?" worried workers asked.
"Why did you say those mean things?" angry movie stars called to ask.
"Can you stop the hackers?" news people wanted to know.
Poor Linda at the front desk couldn't answer fast enough. "Everyone is so mad," she said. "I don't know what to tell them!"
The World Watches
News about the hack was everywhere!
Big Impact: This wasn't just about Sony anymore. Everyone worried their computers might get attacked too!
Some people made jokes about the leaked emails. But for Sony's workers, it wasn't funny at all.
"My kids can't go to school," said Tom. "Someone shared our address online, and we're scared."
Jane from accounting added, "I had to close my bank account because my information got stolen!"
Fighting Back
Sony tried to stop people from sharing their stolen stuff. They sent lots of letters saying "Please don't share our secrets!" But it was like trying to catch rain with a butterfly net.
The company brought in special computer helpers. These helpers were like digital doctors, trying to make Sony's sick computers better.
"Delete everything suspicious!" they told workers. "Change all your passwords!"
But the damage was done. The hackers kept releasing more secrets every day. They were like bullies who wouldn't stop, no matter how much it hurt people.
As night fell, Sony's workers went home tired and worried. They didn't know who would see their private information next. Or what the hackers would share tomorrow. The scariest part? This attack was getting bigger, and nobody knew how to stop it. Digital Detectives at Work
The FBI jumped into action! Special computer police started looking for clues about who hurt Sony.
Following the Digital Trail
"These hackers left footprints," said Agent Sarah. "Not real footprints like in the snow - but computer footprints!"
Detective Work: The FBI found special computer code that looked familiar. They had seen it before in attacks from North Korea!
Tommy, a computer helper, pointed at his screen. "Look at this! The hackers made mistakes when they tried to hide."
Connecting the Dots
The FBI team found interesting clues:
• The hackers used Korean words
• Their attack tools matched North Korea's
• The timing matched North Korea's anger about "The Interview" movie
• The hackers worked during North Korea's daytime hours
"It's like putting together a puzzle," smiled Agent Mike. "And the pieces show us North Korea!"
North Korea Says No
"We didn't do it!" North Korea said. "But Sony deserved what happened!"
This made the FBI even more sure! Why would North Korea be happy about the hack if they didn't do it?
Imagine if someone broke your toy, then said "I didn't do it, but you deserved it!" That's how North Korea sounded!
The World Gets Worried
President Obama looked very serious on TV. "North Korea's attack on Sony is very bad," he said. "We will do something about it!"
Other countries got worried too. If North Korea could attack Sony, what else could they do?
"This isn't just about movies anymore," said Jane, a safety helper. "This is about keeping everyone safe from computer attacks!"
Fighting Back
The FBI shared what they learned with other helpers around the world. "We need to work together to stop bad people from hurting computers!" they said.
Sony got stronger locks for their computers. They were like getting bigger, stronger doors after someone breaks into your house.
Big News: The FBI was sure - North Korea did it! But how would America respond?
Little Billy, who loved computers, asked his mom, "Why would a whole country attack a movie company?"
"Sometimes, honey," his mom said, "people do bad things when they're angry about a movie. But that doesn't make it right."
As the FBI kept digging for more clues, everyone wondered what would happen next. Would America punch back? Would North Korea attack again? The computer war was getting bigger every day. Standing Up to Digital Bullies
Sony had a big choice to make. The hackers said, "Don't show your movie, or else!" What would Sony do?
A Tough Decision
"We can't let bullies win!" said Tom, a Sony worker. But other people were scared. Movie theaters didn't want to show "The Interview." They worried the hackers might hurt them too.
Big Problem: Sony had to choose between being brave or being safe. It's like when a bully tells you to give them your lunch money.
The World Speaks Up
Famous people started talking about the hack:
• Movie stars said "Don't give up!"
• The president said "We believe in free speech!"
• Regular people said "We want to see the movie!"
"If we let hackers stop our movies," said Sally, a movie maker, "they might try to stop other things we love!"
Finding New Ways
"What if we show the movie on computers instead of in theaters?" suggested Jake, a smart helper.
That was it! Sony decided to be brave AND smart. They would show "The Interview" on the internet!
It's like when you find a new way to play when a bully won't let you use the playground!
The World Watches
"Click!" Millions of people bought the movie online. They wanted to show the hackers they weren't scared!
Little Sarah watched her parents buy the movie. "Why are you watching it?" she asked.
"Because in...
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