Amy Pascal announced today that she will resign from her post as head of Sony Pictures, effective immediately.
Often cited as the movie industry’s top female executive, Pascal has been with Sony since 1996.
Her departure comes on the heels of the Sony hacking scandal that was sparked by the release of the controversial Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy, The Interview.
Pascal’s resignation might be viewed by some as another cyber warfare victory for the North Korean group responsible for the hacks.
However, it’s worth noting that in lieu of renewing her contract, Pascal has signed a production deal with Sony that will have her helming some of the studio’s biggest projects over the next four years.
In all likelihood, her resignation is just an attempt by Pascal and Sony to distance themselves from one another in the public’s eye.
In addition to being involved in the exchange of the now-infamous racist Barack Obama emails, Pascal was widely criticized for her handling of the hacking scandal.
She was at least partially responsible for the decision to pull The Interview from theaters, a move that many regarded as a cowardly concession to the terrorists that may have set a dangerous precedent.
While we may never know why exactly Pascal chose to jump ship just as the dust from the hacking scandal has conveniently settled, it seems fairly obvious that this major move would not be taking place, were it not for the efforts of North Korean hackers.
