Movies

2:00 PM PT -- AMC Theaters has decided to pull the plug as well, saying, "At this time, to best enable AMC guests to plan their holiday movie-going with certainty and confidence, AMC is programming its theatres without 'The Interview.'"

1:15 PM PT -- Canada's top theater chain, Cineplex, has postponed screening "The Interview."

12:10 PM PT -- Two more major movie chains -- Regal Entertainment and Carmike Cinemas -- have now decided to drop the film as well.

10:10 AM PT -- Bow Tie Cinemas became the second major chain to announce they will not be showing the film on any of their 350 screens. Bow Tie CEO Ben Moss said "the safety and comfort of our patrons is foremost in our minds."

Sony execs think there's a way to yank "The Interview" and still not give in to the cyber-terrorists.

Industry insiders with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... studio heads are now banking on a flurry of cancellations from the various movie distributors across the country ... to the point where it would not make economic sense to release it.

We're told the execs are actually viewing the latest threat as having a silver lining ... the threat of a 9/11-type attack will make so many theaters pull the flick themselves -- and Sony won't have to do it. One movie chain has already reportedly folded -- the Carmike Cinemas. ArcLight is mulling over what to do.

We're told Sony execs want the bleeding to stop ... especially attacks against mid and low-level employees whose lives, finances and health issues have been exposed.

Surprisingly ... there's talk about the movie getting play on some sort of pay-per-view platform, but that seems odd if they want the hacking to stop.

With the Sony hackers now threatening violence -- James Franco is applying the old theory go big or go home ... when it comes to the security guard tailing him around NYC.

Franco was leaving a restaurant in Manhattan Tuesday night with his new muscle in tow. He was in town to promote "The Interview" and attend the premiere ... which Sony ended up cancelling last night.

Sony Pictures Chief Amy Pascal will NOT step down ... and we're told there has been a groundswell of celebrity support for her to keep her job.

Our industry sources tell TMZ ... more than 50 showbiz bigwigs -- many of whom are celebrities -- have contacted Pascal and other honchos at Sony voicing support for her. Ironically, a number of the supporters voice their sentiment via email to various execs at Sony.

We're told the celebs who have come forward include Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Singleton, Jack Nicholson and Tyler Perry. As for that pic of Jolie with the steely look as Pascal hugged her ... we're told it was just a moment in time.

We're told Pascal is winning some points by spending much of her time in the last few days focusing on the security and safety of the employees.

Pascal is under fire for her emails with producer Scott Rudin about Prez Obama's film preferences, which Rudin said ranged from "12 Years a Slave" to "Ride Along."

Sony execs are now convinced someone who worked for the studio is behind the massive hacking ... because no one from the outside could so precisely target the compromising information.

Multiple sources connected to the studio tell TMZ ... the strong, prevailing view is that the North Koreans are probably involved, but they used someone with intimate knowledge of the Sony email system to laser in on the most embarrassing information.

We're told the people at Sony who are investigating believe the hackers had intimate knowledge of mail systems and their configurations. They also believe the hackers have knowledge of the internal media distribution systems and the internal IT systems, including human resources and payroll.

On the same day the Sony hackers made a 9/11 scale threat against theaters showing "The Interview" -- the New York premiere of Seth Rogen and James Franco's movie has been scrapped.

A rep for the Landmark Sunshine Cinema confirms Thursday's scheduled premiere is cancelled. It's unclear if the event will be rescheduled.

This is the first cancellation for an event surrounding the controversial movie. The Hollywood premiere went on as planned last week, but they didn't do any red carpet interviews.

As TMZ first reported ... the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security doesn't view the latest threats as credible.

Sony is letting theaters decide whether to play the movie -- leaving the door open for big financial losses.

Actress Tasha Smith has jumped from filing a restraining order against her estranged husband ... to slapping him with divorce papers ... and right off the bat it's costing her a bundle of cash.

The "Why Did I Get Married?" star sought the split after she and Keith Douglas filed dueling TROs against each other -- and since she's the bread winner in the family ... the judge is making her pay him $50k in spousal support up front.

We broke the stories ... a judge ordered Smith to stay a bizarre 2 yards away from Douglas -- while they were estranged, but still shacking up in the same house. A week later she filed similar docs to get protection from him.

They'll be back in court next month for the restraining orders. As for the $50k payment -- we're told that's just to hold Douglas over until a permanent support agreement is hammered out in divorce court.

Tyler Perry and his 'WDIGM?' writers should be taking notes.

The latest threat by Sony hackers -- warning a 9/11-type attack at movie theaters that play "The Interview" -- is not credible, at least on available intelligence ... this according to The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security.

A DHS official tells TMZ ... "We are still analyzing the credibility of these statements, but at this time there is no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters within the United States."

The hackers released an ominous-sounding message, warning people not to see the movie, saying, "Remember the 11th of September, 2001. We recommend you keep yourself distant from the places at that time."

The Sony hackers have threatened to turn violent and they say their targets include people who dare go to the theaters to see "The Interview."

In the latest leak Tuesday morning ... the hackers say, "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."

The hackers go on, describing "how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to."

Sony Pictures sat back and did nothing to protect its current and past employees from hackers, who now have access to crucial financial records of more than 15,000 people ... according to a new lawsuit.

The class action suit was filed by two ex-employees, on behalf of other Sony workers in their situation ... claiming the company was warned by the hackers, Guardians of Peace, on November 24th -- but then failed to take any action to protect its records.

The ex-workers -- who left Sony years before the hacking -- say G.O.P. now have access to 47,000 social security numbers ... as well as the birth dates, addresses, salary history, and more for Sony employees.

Al Sharpton made it clear to us ... Sony honcho Amy Pascal's head is on the chopping block, or as he put it, "I'm gonna give her a lotta heck about the hack."

Al was in NYC when our photog asked about the numerous leaks, but the one he seems most offended by is the email about Obama in which Pascal suggests the Prez is a devotee of black films.

Sharpton says Pascal invited him and other civil rights leaders to meet with her and after the showdown they'll decide whether to ask for her resignation.

But Sharpton thinks the bigger issue is that African Americans don't have a seat at the big tables in Hollywood.

And the Oscar goes to ... some dude on eBay, and now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is going after the relative of an actual winner.

A guy named Robert Surtees won an Oscar in 1953 for cinematography for the "The Bad and the Beautiful." Robert is now dead, and his daughter-in-law, Carol, apparently needs some cash, because she put the statue up on eBay and there was indeed a market ... she sold it for $40,500.

Here's the problem ... there are strings attached to winning an Oscar, one of them being that if the winner wants to sell it the Academy can step in and buy it for the very reasonable price of $10.

Beyonce's dad tried to cash in on his famous daughter's name last year with a Destiny's Child biopic ... according to the latest batch of leaked Sony emails released by hackers.

Mathew Knowles reportedly reached out to Sony in December 2013 ... offering the studio first dibs on a movie about the girl group -- and execs seemed into the idea.

However it doesn't look like they ever came to a deal. Lifetime is reportedly planning a D.C. movie next year, but unclear if Mathew's behind that one.

Another leaked email referenced a possible Kanye West feature film. A Yeezy staffer sent an email sent to Sony Pictures honcho Amy Pascal ... pitching her a movie project involving "cinematic and technological innovation."

Milla Jovovich is destroying her good name -- for the second time -- she's going to court to get yet another name change.

Right now the sultry zombie killer's legal name is Milla Anderson-Jovovich -- she's married to director Paul W.S. Anderson. But now she's flipping out ... filing court docs to switch it around to Jovovich-Anderson.

The "Resident Evil" vixen's motives might have something to do with their 7-year-old daughter, Ever Gabo -- in the same docs she's requesting the daughter's last name get the same Jovovich-Anderson treatment.

Casper Smart doesn't need Jennifer Lopez to make it in Hollywood ... he's been working with big stars like Nicki Minaj and he's not even banging them.

We're told Casper just booked a co-starring role as the bad guy in an upcoming movie, "Wild for the Night" ... a flick about electric dance music. He's also choreographing all the dances.

Casper and J. Lo broke up in April and most people thought his face would end up on a milk carton -- not so by a long shot. Here's how he's been filling his time:

-- Choreographed Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" music video
-- Appeared on "The Big Bang Theory"
-- Choreographed the opening act at the MTV VMA's
-- Starred in a film called "Street"
-- Choreographed Jessie J's music video for "Burnin' Up"
-- Bought a new home

We got Casper out this week at Venice Beach ... he says he has a secret to success post J. Lo.

Angelina Jolie seems a tiny bit pissed about producer Scott Rudin calling her a "minimally talented spoiled brat" in an email the hackers just leaked. As for the woman who got the email ...

We're guessing she's still frozen solid after Angie unloaded some icy revenge on her ass.

Angelina Jolie's officially a scratch from all her upcoming media events ... because she's come down with a case of chickenpox.

Angelina just posted a video announcing she will be "home itching" instead of walking the red carpet Monday night in Hollywood for "Unbroken" -- which she directed. The 39-year-old says she was diagnosed Thursday night.

As for how Angie caught the pox -- she's not saying, but c'mon ... she's got 6 kids. One of those buggers must've been carrying.

This caps off a real crappy week that included leaked emails -- sent from mega-producer Scott Rudin to Sony honcho Amy Pascal -- blasting Angelina as a "minimally talented spoiled brat."

Angelina had an awkward run-in with Pascal Wednesday morning. We're not saying Angie was out for revenge, but Pascal might want to get a checkup.