The Interview: Sony Pictures beefs up premiere security and bans journalists after hack

James Franco and Seth Rogen's Kim Jong-un comedy has angered North Korea

A still from The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco

Security has been heightened for the premiere of Seth Rogen and James Franco’s controversial Kim Jong-un comedy The Interview tonight.

No journalists will be granted access to the film’s cast and crew on the Hollywood red carpet after the biggest corporate cyber-attack in history saw internal emails between Sony Pictures executives leaked along with employees' salaries.

Sony is not commenting on the reason for restricted premiere coverage but seems to be taking the safe option in an effort to avoid further embarrassment.

Two press days in Los Angeles and New York are believed to have been cancelled, while four off-duty officers have been added to the premiere’s security team, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

“Security is always a concern at premieres and this is certainly no different,” a spokesperson told Deadline. “We will have appropriate security at the premiere.”

The perpetrators of the Sony hack remain unknown but speculation has focused on North Korean officials angered by The Interview, in which Rogen and Franco star as two tabloid journalists recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

CNN reported yesterday that “the code used in the attack was written in Korean and had previously been used in attacks on South Korea”.

North Korea, however, has denied involvement despite describing the hack as a "righteous deed".

“We do not know where in America the Sony Pictures is situated and for what wrongdoings it became the target of the attack nor we feel the need to know about it,” the country's government said in a statement.

"Sony Pictures is the very one which was going to produce a film abetting a terrorist act while hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK by taking advantage of the hostile policy of the US administration towards the DPRK."

Due out on Christmas Day in the US, The Interview reaches British shores on 6 February 2015.