It was a sad day for the movie world when on 17 December 2014, Sony announced that they were cancelling plans to release The Interview in any format.

On the face of it, it seems Sony has decided to give in to the bullying, threatening tactics used by the so-called ‘Guardians of Peace’, and their efforts to stop the movie’s release. While it certainly must have come as a bit of a shock to the execs at Sony to see internal e-mails, employment records, and financial information relating to the movie – such as the salaries of stars James Franco and Seth Rogen – being made public, this kind of cyber attack is hardly unheard of these days. Even when further information was leaked a couple of weeks later, was anyone really that worried by the hackers audacity?

The answer is obviously, yes. After the second release of information was made on 8 December, The Interview had its L.A. premiere on 11 December (and received mixed reviews). On 16 December, the hackers issued an ultimatum to movie theatres in the US and anyone planning to see the movie: “keep yourself distant from the places [cinemas] at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)” The reaction: Sony removed all mention of The Interview from its web site, Franco and Rogen both stopped doing publicity for the movie, and its planned theatrical release on 25 December was cancelled.

In effect, the so-called ‘Guardians of Peace’ made some vague threats and Sony threw in the towel before they’d even gotten in the ring.

There are wider implications involved here that Sony hasn’t – apparently – considered, such as the precedent they’ve now made for every other production company, investor, studio, or organisation involved in the making and promoting and showing of movies, whether in the US or abroad. Which movie will be next? Putting aside the subject matter of The Interview itself – the planned assassination of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un – what’s to stop another hateful organisation like the so-called ‘Guardians of Peace’ from popping up and voicing their dislike of any other movie? And threatening violence if it’s shown?

With theatre chains in America such as AMC and Cineplex deciding to either drop the movie altogether or delay it until all the fuss has died down, Sony took the opportunity to withdraw the movie – and not release it at all (not even on VOD which would have allowed them to recoup some of the movie’s costs). Instead of standing up to what amounts to the worst kind of schoolyard bullying, the company used the cinema chains’ reluctance to see their premises and/or staff put at risk as an excuse to bow to the pressure placed on them. And they had the nerve to say in their statement: “We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression…” Is anyone really impressed, or convinced, by this assertion?

The role of Franco and Rogen in all this is disappointing as well. Their silence on the matter (and apparent willingness to stop promoting the movie) infers a lack of commitment to their movie that’s as worrying as the attacks on Sony’s computer systems. That too such vocal and usually forthright performers haven’t the cojones to stick up for their own movie, or voice any anger at the actions of the so-called ‘Guardians of Peace’, is baffling and regrettable. Don’t they have anything to say about what’s happened?

Whether they do or not though, the fact remains that Sony has done an incredible disservice to moviegoers everywhere – The Interview won’t even be released outside of the US. There’s a bigger, more important principle at stake here (and whether the movie is good or bad), and that’s free speech. For Sony to cave in under pressure so quickly and cravenly is disgraceful, and especially in light of the US Department of Homeland Security stating there is “no credible intelligence” of an active violent plot against cinemas. This makes their decision one of the most ill-considered, and – let’s say it – cowardly responses to a threat anyone’s heard in a long time.

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to let me know.