Early villains have emerged in the next James Bond film Spectre: hackers who stole a version of the screenplay as part of a devastating cyberattack on Sony Pictures.
Producers of the James Bond films said they learned on Saturday morning that an early version of the Spectre script was among material stolen and made public by hackers who infiltrated computers at the Sony studio.
“Eon Productions is concerned that third parties who have received the stolen screenplay may seek to publish it or its contents,” Eon said in a statement, while warning that the script is protected by UK copyright laws.
Spectre, starring Daniel Craig as 007, is set for release on Nov. 6 next year. Filming began this month after producer Barbara Broccoli and director Sam Mendes unveiled the title, cast and a new car, but little about the plot.
“I was so excited to tell this story but to explain why, I would have to tell you the plot and I can’t do that,” Mendes said at the presentation in the UK, a reminder of Sony’s might in the movie world.
The Bond franchise is one of the most lucrative for Sony Pictures and the last installment, Skyfall, brought in US$1.1 billion worldwide, more than any other Bond film.
Hackers launched an attack on the Sony Corp entertainment arm on Nov. 24, disabling the computer network and stealing and leaking a trove of sensitive information in the most severe cyberattack on a company in the US. The identity of the hackers has yet to be determined.
In related news, the FBI has warned US businesses to be on the alert for a sophisticated Iranian hacking operation whose targets include defense contractors, energy firms and educational institutions, according to a confidential FBI document.
The operation is the same as one flagged last week by cybersecurity firm Cylance Inc as targeting critical infrastructure organizations worldwide, cybersecurity experts said.
Cylance has said it uncovered more than 50 victims from what it dubbed “Operation Cleaver,” in 16 countries, including the US.
The FBI’s confidential Flash report, seen by reporters on Friday, provides technical details about malicious software and techniques used in the attacks, along with advice on thwarting the hackers. It asked businesses to contact the FBI if they believed they were victims.
Cylance chief executive officer Stuart McClure said the FBI warning suggested that the Iranian hacking campaign might have been larger than its own research indicated. Cylance has said it believes the Iranian government is behind the campaign, a claim Tehran has vehemently denied.
An FBI official did not provide further details. The Pentagon and the US National Security Agency had no immediate comment.
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