SONY: 'We Have Not Caved'

Jonathan Alcorn/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesSony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton.

Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton appeared on CNN Friday afternoon to address the company's decision to pull "The Interview" from theaters.

Lynton told CNN's Fareed Zakaria that Sony did not cave to the hacker group Guardians of Peace (GOP) by pulling the movie.

He said the decision to pull "The Interview" only came after the major theater chains decided not to show the film. It wasn't because Sony didn't want to distribute the movie.

"Movie theaters came to us … one by one and announced they would not carry the movie," Lynton said.

"We have not caved," he added.

Lynton also told Zakaria that Sony has "every desire" to show the movie to the public.

But Sony hasn't announced plans to release "The Interview" through alternative methods, either online or through video on demand services. And GOP sent an email to Lynton and other Sony executives Friday morning that said the company is safe from further hacks as long as it doesn't release the movie.

Earlier Friday afternoon, President Obama said Sony made a mistake by canceling "The Interview" premiere.

"I'm sympathetic to the concerns they faced. Having said all that, I think they made a mistake."

Obama continued:

"I wish [Sony] had spoken to me first. I would have told them do not get into a pattern where you're intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks."

The FBI said Friday that North Korea was responsible for the Sony hacks.

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More on the Sony hacks:

• The full statement from the FBI blaming North Korea >>
• US companies are scrambling to guard their data following the Sony hack >>
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• Sony might have been a practice run for North Korea >>
• Here are the US options for an appropriate response to North Korea >>