Sony has finally bowed down to the hackers' demand and scrapped their plans of releasing "The Interview" this Christmas. Following a hacking scandal and repeated threats, it is officially announced that Sony's satirical comedy, which struck a nerve in North Korea, has been banned from release internationally.

The decision became official on Dec. 18 after US President Barack Obama expressed concern over the issue. He deemed the hacking attack and following threats as a serious concern, disclosing that the White House is vigilant and alert about any possible terrorist activity.

Sony earlier faced a hacking attack, which jeopardised its entire system and operations for a while. North Korean hacking gang, called 'Guardians Of Peace,' has taken sole responsibility of the attack, which they claimed to be an expression of their strong protest against the upcoming Sony film. The movie is a comical take at an assassination attempt against North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un's. This film has been facing criticism in various Asian countries since its trailer got released.

Sony's decision was triggered by the fact that following the threats from hackers, many major theatre chains denied to showcase the movie. As per Time, the threats were quite dangerous as hackers warned a '9/11' style attack on the theatres that will host "The Interview" this Christmas.

The comedy's fate, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, is now sealed as Sony announced that it will no longe release the movie on DVD, video-on-demand or any other online streaming platform. Sony can still feel the repercussions of the hacking attack when it's official internal mail and other important documents became public, creating ripples across Hollywood.

Major cinema chains in Australia, such as Hoyts and Event, are still awaiting for a formal note from Sony Pictures Australia in reference to the distribution date of the movie. Although the movie is now cancelled, The Guardian is claiming that the movie will still see the light of the day very soon.

The tabloid has even forecasted that the movie will surface again and become freely available online very soon. Ironically, the same BitTorrent technology that the hacker warriors used for their attack on Sony to halt the release of the movie will help in releasing it on internet in the near future.

Meanwhile, Sony's decision to back off from its venture is not appreciated much in the Hollywood. Filmmakers, actors and other artist have voiced out their strong disappointment at the decision to yank off the controversial movie. Actors Ben Stiller, Steve Carell, Rob Lowe, late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel and filmmaker Judd Apatow have criticised the decision, deeming it as a cowardly act and a threat to the freedom of expression. Oscar-wining screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has also expressed his anguish and grief to BBC, describing the move as a sad day for creative expression.