George Clooney Wrote a Petition to Support The Interview, But No One Signed It

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George Clooney wrote up a petition to support The Interview, directed at his fellow actors, and is now telling Deadline that no one would dare sign it: “It was sent to basically the heads of every place. They told Bryan Lourd [Clooney’s agent] , ‘I can’t sign this.’ What? How can you not sign this? I’m not going to name anyone, that’s not what I’m here to do, but nobody signed the letter.� They were all too afraid, too afraid to publicly side with Clooney, who is basically every famous person’s BFF: “This is just where we are right now, how scared this industry has been made … Understand what is going on right now, because the world just changed on your watch, and you weren’t even paying attention.�

His solution? Sony should release the film online and he will let them know: “I just talked to Amy [Pascal, the co-chariman of Sony Pictures] an hour ago. She wants to put that movie out … Stick it online. Do whatever you can to get this movie out. Not because everybody has to see the movie, but because I’m not going to be told we can’t see the movie. That’s the most important part. We cannot be told we can’t see something by Kim Jong-un, of all fucking people.�

Here is the petition letter he sent out, as read to Deadline:

On November 24 of this year, Sony Pictures was notified that it was the victim of a cyber attack, the effects of which is the most chilling and devastating of any cyber attack in the history of our country. 

Personal information including Social Security numbers, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and the full texts of emails of tens of thousands of Sony employees was leaked online in an effort to scare and terrorize these workers. 

The hackers have made both demands and threats. The demand that Sony halt the release of its upcoming comedy The Interview, a satirical film about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Their threats vary from personal—you better behave wisely—to threatening physical harm—not only you but your family is in danger. 

North Korea has not claimed credit for the attack but has praised the act, calling it a righteous deed and promising merciless measures if the film is released. 

Meanwhile the hackers insist in their statement that what they’ve done so far is only a small part of our further plan. 

This is not just an attack on Sony. It involves every studio, every network, every business and every individual in this country. That is why we fully support Sony’s decision not to submit to these hackers’ demands. 

We know that to give in to these criminals now will open the door for any group that would threaten freedom of expression, privacy and personal liberty. We hope these hackers are brought to justice but until they are, we will not stand in fear. We will stand together.