|
 One of the most powerful women executives in Hollywood,
Pascal had kept a low profile since her emails were leaked by
hackers and widely reported by media, particularly one in which
she made racially insensitive remarks about President Barack
Obama's taste in films.
Sony Pictures said Pascal will step down from her current post
in May to launch her own production venture on the studio lot
with its financial backing.
Sony Pictures Chief Executive and Chairman Michael Lynton told
Reuters the emails leaked late last year played no role in his
and Pascal's decision not to renew her contract in March 2015.
The entertainment arm of Sony Corp was victim of the most
destructive cyber attack on a private company on U.S. soil.
The U.S. government has blamed the hack on North Korea after the
reclusive nation was angered by a Sony comedy "The Interview,"
depicting the fictional assassination of leader Kim Jong Un.
Pascal had greenlighted the movie, which opened in limited
release after the studio reversed a decision, condemned by Obama,
to cancel its theatrical release.
Having her emails laid out for all of Hollywood to see appeared
to be a big blow to the 56-year-old studio boss known for her
good relationships with actors and her backing of edgy films
like "Zero Dark Thirty" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
DEFENDERS OF PASCAL
In an email exchange between Pascal and producer Scott Rudin
that was reported by website Gawker, Rudin called famed actress
Angelina Jolie a "minimally talented spoiled brat" because of
her demands during a remake of "Cleopatra." Jolie has not
responded publicly to the remarks since the email exchange was
disclosed.
In another email, Pascal joked about President Obama's race and
his taste in movies. Pascal subsequently issued a public apology
for "insensitive and inappropriate" emails, and met with civil
rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton, who did not call for her
to step down.
Several celebrities also came to her defense, arguing that no
one should have their private emails picked over in public.
"I would hope that we would not stand in such harsh judgment in
a moment of time when someone is hacked in their private
conversations," media mogul Oprah Winfrey told CNN when asked
about the remarks about Obama.
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Pascal, who joined Sony's Columbia Pictures in 1988, said she and
Lynton had been discussing her transition to producer for "quite
some time."
"As the slate for the next two years has come together, it felt like
the right time to transition into this new role," Pascal was quoted
in a statement from the company. "I am leaving the studio in great
hands."
Two employees at the studio in Culver City, California, said they
were not surprised that Pascal was leaving the post after the tumult
of recent months and that she will be missed.
"Amy really contributed to treating her employees really well," one
of the employees told Reuters on the condition of anonymity because
they are not authorized to speak.
SUCCESSION OPEN
Sony did not immediately disclose who would be taking over her post.
But Sony employees have said one possible successor could be Michael
De Luca, producer of "The Social Network" and the upcoming "Fifty
Shades of Grey," who was hired in 2013 as president of production at
Sony's Columbia Pictures unit.
Lynton and Pascal have endured a tough few years, from an activist
investor's challenge to their leadership to job cuts after a few
notable bombs like "White House Down" and Will Smith's "After
Earth."
Lynton told Reuters last month that the costs of the hacking
episode, which crippled the computer network for months, would be
amply covered by insurance and that there were no more restructuring
plans for the studio.
Lynton said in that interview that a major challenge would be
reestablishing trust in the company and Hollywood after sensitive
information such as salaries and private emails was posted online.
"I am very confident we can return to normal, but I think that level
of transparency on some of those issues creates trust issues," he
said.
Pascal's new production venture will focus on film, television and
theater, the studio said. As part of a four-year agreement, Sony
Pictures will finance Pascal's venture and retain distribution
rights to the films.
(Additional reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy and Dana Feldman in Los
Angeles; editing by Christian Plumb and Gunna Dickson)
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