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The damage from the mega-hack of Sony's computers turned painfully real on Tuesday when an email war between top studio exec Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin was posted by Gawker and quickly became the talk of Hollywood. In the exchange over several months, Rudin bitterly insults Pascal over her handling of the Steve Jobs biopic that Rudin wanted to make at Sony, but which he eventually took to Universal. Rudin also calls Angelina Jolie a “minimally talented spoiled brat" and warns Pascal that both of their careers may go down in flames if Sony makes a Cleopatra picture with Jolie. “You’ve destroyed your relationships with half the town over how you’ve behaved on this movie, and if you don’t think it’s true, wait and see," Rudin writes to Pascal about their dust-up over the Steve Jobs picture. He also calls financier Megan Ellison a "bipolar 28 year old lunatic."
Deadline.com takes the position that the emails were written for private consumption, were stolen and aren't news — even as they divulge the fracturing of high-level relationships and shine a light on how Hollywood works. The other Hollywood trades and some of the entertainment media beyond are covering the carnage. How Variety gets into it:
In the latest fallout from the cyber-attack saga that’s enveloping Sony Pictures, a nasty exchange between studio co-chair Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin, and an ugly bashing by the hard-charging producer of key figures in the industry, including Angelina Jolie and financier Megan Ellison, appeared in several emails that leaked online Tuesday.
At the center of the fiery back-and-forth conversation between Pascal and Rudin, from Feb. 27 to Nov. 19 of this year, is the upcoming Steve Jobs biopic written by Aaron Sorkin. According to the emails, Jolie objected to David Fincher directing the “Jobs” film instead of her bid-budget remake of “Cleopatra.” Pascal asked Rudin, a producer on “Jobs,” to talk to the Oscar-winning actress about it, but Rudin said he didn’t “want to waste [his] time on this.”
Sony hackers have leaked new emails revealing a heated exchange that detail the meltdown of Aaron Sorkin‘s “Jobs” — a script that suffered several high profile talent departures before winding up at Universal.
Hackers dumped studio president Amy Pascal and Sony TV head Steve Mosko's email inboxes onto file sharing sites Monday evening, and Gawker unearthed an undeniably juicy chain on Tuesday in which Pascal and Rudin bicker relentlessly about the state of the Apple founder's biopic.
The Hollywood Reporter:
In the latest turn in the Sony hacking drama, a fiery email exchange detailing the backstage fight over the studio's Steve Jobs biopic was posted online on Tuesday by Gawker.
This portion of the leaked emails between Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chairman Amy Pascal and producer Scott Rudin include correspondence dated from Feb. 27, 2014 to Nov. 19, 2014, according to images posted on the gossip website. The Steve Jobs biopic, written by Aaron Sorkin, ended up at Universal late last month after Sony couldn't agree on financing terms.One email posted on Gawker from February centers on director David Fincher, who was originally set to direct Jobs, and Angelina Jolie. Jolie is attached to star in Cleopatra, another Sony property. The emails, as Gawker's Sam Biddle reported, show Pascal and Rudin in disagreement over Jolie's apparent interest in having Fincher direct Cleopatra, versus Jobs.
Rudin also had harsh words for Annapurna founder Megan Ellison, who wanted in on financing the Jobs movie.
The LA Times focuses on a different angle — that Sony officials had discussed the risks inherent in releasing "The Interview," the film that makes fun of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, and which some believe triggered the hacker attack on Sony. The Times stotry also totes up the damage to Sony from the cyberattack.
Studio executives were cautioned by the Department of Homeland Security this summer that the film — which depicts a fictional assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — could provoke retaliation, according to people with knowledge of the situation. Parent company Sony Corp. also expressed concerns to studio executives that the film could inflame tensions with North Korea….
The breach has delivered one embarrassing blow after another to Sony Pictures, including the disclosure of Social Security numbers of thousands of current and former employees, confidential emails and other information. Five films, including the upcoming musical "Annie," were also leaked online.The wave of leaks has caused chaos on the studio lot and sent morale plummeting. Hackers released the purported million-dollar salaries of 17 studio executives, code names used by celebrities when they travel and trash-talking communications about films in development….
The breach is expected to cost Sony Pictures tens of millions of dollars as the company rebuilds its computer network, conducts a forensic investigation of the attack and deals with the legal fallout, including potential lawsuits from employees.
