Steve Carell's planned movie project based on North Korea has been canceled by New Regency after the Sony Entertainment hacking.
The New Regency movie was based on Guy Delisle's graphic novel "Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea," which Gore Verbinski was set to direct,
according to Deadline.com. The movie, written by Steve Conrad, was to star Carell in the title role of the thriller.
Sony's massive security breach, in which private emails from movie executive have been exposed along with contracts, movies and other documents, has Sony playing damage control. Many speculate the attacks is connected to Sony plans to release "The Interview," a comedy depicting the assassination attempt of North Korea's leader Kim Jung-Un.
U.S. officials said this week that it believes that North Korea was "centrally involved" in the hacking of Sony computers, which it is now calling a cyberterrorism attack,
reported The New York Times.
Sony on Wednesday announced that it will not release "The Interview," starring Seth Rogan and James Franco, after some of the top theater chains in the country declined to show the film because of the threat of cyberattacks,
reported the Huffington Post.
Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark, Cineplex Entertainment and Carmike Cinemas yanked "The Interview" from their December showing schedules.
Delisle's 2007 novel that centered on North Korea's capital was inspired by the cartoonist's two months of living in the country while working with a French film animation company,
according to an Amazon book description.
"Famously referred to as one of the 'Axis of Evil' countries, North Korea remains one of the most secretive and mysterious nations in the world today," reads the description. "In early 2001 cartoonist Guy Delisle became one of the few Westerners to be allowed access to the fortress-like country.
"Delisle observed what he was allowed to see of the culture and lives of the few North Koreans he encountered; his findings form the basis of this remarkable graphic novel. 'Pyonyang' is an informative, personal and accessible look at a dangerous and enigmatic country," reads the description.
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