Sony hacking: Judd Apatow and Steve Carell lead Hollywood reactions to The Interview's cancellation over terrorist threats

'Will they pull any movie that gets an anonymous threat now?' asked Judd Apatow

A still from Kim Jong Un's death scene in The Interview (Columbia Pictures)

Sony Pictures made the controversial decision to back down to "terrorists" threatening to attack cinemas if James Franco and Seth Rogen's North Korea comedy The Interview is released today, and the entertainment industry is stunned.

The studio said in a statement that it "stands by [its] filmmakers and their right to free expression" but must put "the safety of employees and theatre-goers" first.

Steve Carrell called it "a sad day for creative expression", while Zach Braff described the move as "a pretty horrible precedent to set".

Michael Moore perhaps put it best though, joking: "Dear Sony Hackers: now that u run Hollywood, I'd also like less romantic comedies, fewer Michael Bay movies and no more Transformers."

The Interview, which focused on a plot to assassinate NK leader Kim Jong Un, will, if anything probably reach more people now however, as the film is expected to leak online this week after Jong Un's death scene popped up on YouTube.

The eighth collection of leaked Sony emails came with the following threat on Tuesday:

'We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places ‘The Interview’ be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)'