Following the Sony hacks and controversies that followed last year, Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal has now decided that her contract with the film company won’t be renewed, ending her decade-long bonding with Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The decision has been made on a mutual understanding in the wake of the recent email reveals, which was leaked by hackers.
However, Sony has said that the incident which took place in November had no influence on the decision of Amy Pascal and the company not to renew the contract, which would be expiring this March.
Sony has said that following her quitting from Sony, she would be setting up her own production venture, which will be having the full financial backing from the studio. She will be entering into her new role in May, and will have the contract running for four years.
Regarded as one of the most influential female business executives, Pascal stepped in as the SPE co-chairperson in 2006, after serving as chairman of SPE Motion Picture Group for three years.
She has bagged countless number of hits during her tenure, which also includes Skyfall, the first Bond movie to gross above $1billion worldwide.
However, her reputation was dealt with a blow last year when the studio was hacked as a mark of protest to the release of ‘The Interview’.
The hacking group revealed some of her email conversations which carried some abusive comments from her side for some noted celebrities.
The most notable among them was Pascal calling Angelina Jolie a ‘minimally talented spoiled brat’, and her comic remarks on President Obama’s race and his taste in movies.
Sony also received criticism for its decision to pull out from the release. The film which portrayed the assassination of North Korean leader made its release on internet, which was followed by a limited screen release.
Sony hasn’t announced a successor to Pascal, but hints are that Michael De Luca will be the one who would be taking charge. He was previously appointed as the president of Sony’s Columbia Pictures unit in 2013.