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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hackers calling themselves Guardians of Peace are making ominous threats against movie theaters showing the Sony Pictures film "The Interview."
The threats make reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
"The Interview" is a comedy in which Seth Rogen and James Franco star as TV journalists involved in a CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Its New York premiere is scheduled for Thursday, and it's expected to hit theaters nationwide on Christmas Day.
The hacking group also released a trove of data files, calling it the beginning of a "Christmas gift." But it included a message warning that people should stay away from places where "The Interview" will be shown, including the upcoming premiere. It urged people to leave their homes if they are near theaters showing the film.
A spokesman for the National Association of Theater Owners isn't commenting on the threats.
Speculation about a North Korean link to the Sony hacking has centered on that country's angry denunciation of the film.
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APPHOTO NYBZ102: FILE - In this Dec. 2, 2014 file photo, cars enter Sony Pictures Entertainment headquarters in Culver City, California. Hackers calling themselves Guardians of Peace on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 released another round of data leaks, including ominous threats against the premiere of Sony Pictures' film "The Interview," in which the group references the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File) (2 Dec 2014)
<<APPHOTO NYBZ102 (12/02/14)££
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