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Sony says ‘Concussion’ wasn’t softened to placate NFL

This image released by Sony Pictures shows the poster art for the film, "Concussion," to be released in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day. Even though the holiday is nearly four months off, we already know what Roger Goodell will find under his tree on Christmas Day. It's a movie scheduled for release that morning based on a true story and bluntly titled "Concussion." It could do for the NFL what "The Insider" did for Big Tobacco and "Erin Brockovich" did for big energy companies. (Sony Pictures via AP) This image released by Sony Pictures shows the poster art for the film, "Concussion," to be released in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day. Even though the holiday is nearly four months off, we already know what Roger Goodell will find under his tree on Christmas Day. It's a movie scheduled for release that morning based on a true story and bluntly titled "Concussion." It could do for the NFL what "The Insider" did for Big Tobacco and "Erin Brockovich" did for big energy companies. (Sony Pictures via AP)

By Associated Press September 2, 2015 1 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – Sony Pictures is insisting that the Will Smith film “Concussion” was not “softened” to placate the NFL.

Emails leaked by last year’s hack of Sony Pictures Entertainment revealed executives, lawyers and filmmaker Peter Landesman wrestling with whether “Concussion” would antagonize the NFL, and making changes to the film.

After a comprehensive review of those emails, The New York Times on Tuesday reported that Sony blunted parts of the film, in which Smith plays the first scientist to uncover the fatal effects of repeated head trauma suffered by many NFL players.

In a statement Wednesday, Sony Pictures called the Times story “misleading” and insisted: “As will become immediately clear to anyone actually seeing the movie, nothing with regard to this important story has been ‘softened’ to placate anyone.”