Chapter 884: Hacker Invasion

"North Korea is the enemy" remained a form of political correctness in American society, and the traditionally left-leaning film industry was no exception. Protests from the North Korean authorities would only motivate certain American producers, who were all too happy to bring this premise to theaters—not to mention that for a commercial blockbuster, such controversy served as the cheapest possible promotion.

The ideological propaganda that "everything about a hostile country is bad" was not unique to America. Across the Pacific Ocean, the popularity of certain sensationalized dramas relied entirely on national hatred, and North Korean films had no shortage of "American characters"—figures who were inevitably villains.

According to Duke and Warner Brothers' plan, the next step was a staged "hacker farce" to further expand the public reach of The Interview.

However, events always found a way to take an unexpected turn.

The sun sank beneath the sea, and the drifting breeze lost its damp heat, bringing a refreshing coolness that relieved the stuffiness of the Malibu coast. Seagulls occasionally flying over the yacht let out cheerful calls, but when the deck lights flared on and illuminated the surrounding water, the birds hurriedly scattered.

The nearly four-hundred-foot yacht The Duke slowly left the pier, pulling away from the coastline. A few speedboats carrying paparazzi passed along the periphery without daring to approach. They could only aim their telephoto lenses at the yacht and continuously press their shutters before leaving in disappointment.

"Damn Laser Anti-Photography Device!"

The paparazzi fumed, but they had no choice. The owner of the yacht was rich enough to install the most advanced equipment, and he wielded enough power that they dared not get too close...

The director's amiable image seemed like a thing of the past, as the events of recent years served as a constant reminder to the paparazzi. If they angered the owner of the yacht, the consequences would be severe and terrifying.

True, North America was a land of freedom, and they had the right to freely interview and photograph. But these paparazzi knew full well that freedom always operated on a double standard. If they pushed for that freedom here, they would likely pay an unbearable price.

The yacht was brightly lit. Through binoculars, they could vaguely see figures moving about. This was the celebration party for The Dark Knight Rises, attended by countless stars and celebrities. Reluctant to leave, the paparazzi could only roam the waters from a distance.

On the spacious top deck, over a dozen waiters carrying various drinks weaved through the crowd, occasionally adding fresh, exquisite dishes to the central dining tables. Two rows of white tables and chairs were arranged near the port and starboard railings. Small groups sat around them, their conversations punctuated by hearty or polite laughter.

No matter what these people were like in private, on this ship and at this party, they presented their best selves.

"Duke..."

On the yacht's top deck, Anne Hathaway sought out Duke.

Raising her glass to him, she said, "It's a pity my character died in the second movie. It really is a shame. Working with you has been an absolute delight."

"I'm sure we'll have chances to collaborate again," Duke said politely.

That was just a pleasantry. Even if a suitable role arose, Duke had no intention of casting the New York actress again anytime soon.

The reason was simple: today's Anne Hathaway had successfully surpassed Gwyneth Paltrow to become the most hated actress in America, bar none.

The old Anne Hathaway had been quite popular. In the eyes of North American audiences, she sang well, her movies were adorable, and she was more uninhibited than other actors. Quick-witted on talk shows, she was practically a bomb of energy.

But over the past few years, a cruel reality had taken hold: Anne Hathaway had become an actress that the vast majority of Americans deeply disliked, possibly the most hated of all.

What first ignited widespread disdain and hatred toward Anne Hathaway among American audiences was the fraud scandal involving that Italian man during Batman Begins. Then, last year's New York Times article, Do We Really Hate Anne Hathaway?, struck a chord with the public. As with all star-making and star-destroying campaigns, numerous media outlets eagerly joined in to bash her.

Many media outlets published comprehensive analyses of why the American public hated Anne Hathaway, concluding that she was fake. But more importantly, once a powerhouse like the New York Times stepped forward to analyze why everyone hated a Hollywood actress, the situation grew genuinely troublesome.

It wasn't just the New York Times; highly influential outlets like The New Republic, The New Yorker, and Hollywood Reporter all featured columns discussing the public's hatred of Anne Hathaway as a serious topic.

As the New York Times noted, multiple mainstream media outlets rated Anne Hathaway as the most hated celebrity of 2012. On Instant Sharing, there was even a trending hashtag called #hathahaters.

Going into 2013 in particular, the activity of her anti-fans reached its peak. On Instant Sharing, nearly twenty thousand comments cursed her every minute, and people were even dissecting and criticizing every single sentence of her past acceptance speeches.

"She calls the Golden Statuette a weapon of self-doubt—that's just disgusting," one comment read. "I hate her so much I want to throw a pizza at my TV," read another.

The American public's consensus was that "she looks like she's acting even when eating and drinking; she must practice in front of a mirror dozens of times before going on an entertainment show, and any joke she casually tells is entirely scripted."

What the public loathed most about her behavior was that "she forgot to thank someone at the Golden Globe Awards, and when the film she starred in won Best Picture, she rushed up before the producer to tack on a segment to her own acceptance speech."

Forming a stark contrast with Anne Hathaway was another actress, Jennifer Lawrence. In the public eye, she was more natural, adorable, and genuine, looking completely unbothered even when she misspoke.

Jennifer Lawrence was undoubtedly acting too—falling once on important occasions might be a coincidence, but repeatedly doing so definitely indicated a calculated routine—but the media needed new stars to attract audiences. Hollywood needed to manufacture new idols to showcase the glamorous side of the industry, and the public needed a unique star to satisfy their fantasies. Thus, Jennifer Lawrence appeared at exactly the right time and the right place. Armed with her own intelligence and that of the team behind her, she became the fastest-rising newcomer of the moment.

Even in a poll on Instant Sharing titled Why Do So Many People Hate Anne Hathaway?, the very first sentence of the second-highest ranked answer was: Because she isn't Jennifer Lawrence.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Anne Hathaway, Duke greeted the approaching guests while intermittently pondering a slew of issues. He didn't pull his focus back until Tina Fey hurried over, holding a mobile phone.

"It's a call from Mr. Jamie Jensen," she said. "He'll call back in three minutes."

Duke nodded. Tina Fey took the initiative to intercept a few people walking their way, and when the phone vibrated, Duke walked over to a secluded spot at the bow.

"What? A hacker invasion? And it wasn't us?"

Giving Tina Fey a few instructions, Duke headed for the flight deck at the rear of the yacht. He took a helicopter straight back to Los Angeles, making several phone calls along the way. Almost everyone on the Warner Brothers board of directors was notified, and Doug Walter convened the executives to prepare for an emergency meeting.

The matter wasn't complicated. According to the plan established by Warner Brothers, after dragging out the war of words with North Korea, they would launch a new marketing strategy: orchestrating an inside job and framing the North Koreans to maximize the hype.

But before the plan could be set in motion, a real hacker organization breached Warner's servers. Fortunately, Warner Brothers had long since prepared for this. The compromised servers held nothing of true value. The only files genuinely related to the film were the latest posters and trailers for The Interview. If the hackers leaked them, it would only benefit the film's promotion.

Failing to achieve their goal, the invading hackers naturally weren't about to let the matter rest. They left a message on the Warner Brothers servers.

This hacker organization, calling itself the Guardians of Peace, issued a formal warning to Warner Brothers: if the studio did not stop promoting and screening The Interview, they would take further action.

"My suggestion..."

Inside the Warner Brothers conference room, Duke spoke without hesitation, "...is to report this to the Los Angeles Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Central Intelligence Agency. At the same time, we should hold a press conference and make this hacking incident public."

Jamie Jensen nodded in agreement. "I agree."

Abandoning the film was absolutely impossible; exploiting the hacking incident was the most advantageous choice.

Although some Warner Brothers executives had their doubts, they still supported this approach.

Subsequently, the hackers anonymously sent a warning email to the public inboxes of Duke and Doug Walter, claiming that Warner Brothers would suffer "immense damage." If Warner Brothers did not cancel its plans for The Interview as demanded, they would face a "total bombardment."

After being rebuffed by Warner Brothers, the hackers indeed launched an attack on the studio. However, against a well-prepared Warner Brothers, alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency, they failed to cause any substantive damage. Instead, with Warner Brothers heavily publicizing the situation, this hacking incident became the focal point of national attention.

The entire world was in an uproar when, during the second press conference held by Warner Brothers, an attending Central Intelligence Agency representative directly declared North Korea as the prime suspect. The level of attention this incident received surpassed even that of the shooting tied to The Dark Knight Rises, spreading across the globe at record speed.

At the same time, the name of the film, The Interview, resounded globally. Countless people eagerly awaited it, desperate to see exactly what kind of movie this could be.