Sony has announced that co-chief Amy Pascal will step down from her position in light of the hacking scandal that rocked the studio in December.
In addition, Pascal will begin a new production company backed by Sony beginning in May.
“I have spent almost my entire professional life at Sony Pictures and I am energized to be starting this new chapter based at the company I call home,” Pascal said in a statement.
By the sounds of her comments in the press release, this is a move that’s been coming for a while. “I have always wanted to be a producer. Michael and I have been talking about this transition for quite some time and I am grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to pursue my long-held dream and for providing unparalleled support. As the slate for the next 2 years has come together, it felt like the right time to transition into this new role.”
Pascal was dragged into the public spotlight when thousands of her e-mails to Sony execs, the Hollywood elite, and celebrities were released to the media by hackers. Several of the e-mails revealed shocking or interesting tidbits that many deemed newsworthy, thus they spread around the internet like wildfire.
The hacking – organized by North Korea, according to the FBI – was carried out to protest the release of The Interview starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. Sony ended up buckling to the hacker group’s demands, pulling The Interview from all theaters before backpedaling and putting it in small theaters after all. The Interview was also distributed online through services like iTunes and Netflix.
Pascal’s e-mails gave her a reputation of being a no-nonsense exec who was passionate about putting together movies she believed could be major hits.
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