Overview
- In February 2026 excerpts, Michael Lynton reflects on approving the Seth Rogen–James Franco comedy and links that choice to the 2014 Sony hack.
- Lynton says peer pressure and studio competition swayed him, citing a rivalry between Amy Pascal and Universal’s Stacey Snider and a hasty go-ahead after a table read.
- He writes that Sony’s head of IT told him about 70% of servers being irreparably damaged, leaving the studio unable to make or release films or access core systems.
- He describes leaks of emails, scripts and personal data, including, he says, his daughters’ health records appearing online via a site prompting visitors to type “Die Sony.”
- The FBI reported evidence pointing to likely North Korean involvement, and Lynton recalls Barack Obama calling the decision a mistake as industry relationships frayed and support was sparse.