Is this the exploding face that caused a thousand hacks? Source: Supplied

The gory killing of North Korean dictator in James Franco and Seth Rogen’s The Interview is what many are suggesting might have triggered the ongoing Sony hacking scandal.

MORE: DiCaprio, Gosling, Clooney feature in latest Sony leaks

MORE: Angelina Jolie ‘death stares’ Sony executive

The clip — in which Kim Jong-un’s helicopter is hit by a shell and his head explodes — has been leaked as part of the attack against the Japanese entertainment giant, amid speculation the hack is the result of North Korean anger at the portrayal of their leader in the film.

North Korean officials have denied any involvement in the hack, but have previously described the $40 million film as “an act of war” and promised a “resolute and merciless response.”

Leaked internal emails show that the killing scene was the subject of ongoing concern for movie executives and co-star Seth Rogen. Rogen and the special effects team were asked to scale back the gruesomeness of the assassination at the request of Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai and Sony co-chairman Amy Pascal. According to the hacked emails, they insisted that Rogen remove images of flaming hair and chunks of skull.

“We took out three out of four face embers,” Rogen wrote in an email. “Reduced the hair burning by 50%, and significantly darkened the chunks of Kim’s head.”

After months of back-and-forth emails Hirai eventually approved a variant of the scene referred to as “version 337” which reduced “face melting,” “fire in the hair,” “embers on the face” and the “head explosion,” Gawker reports.

Security is seen outside The Theatre at Ace Hotel before the premiere of The Interview in L.A. Source: AFP

The Sony hackers have now issued a chilling warning to moviegoers — threatening anyone who sees The Interview to “remember the 11th of September 2001.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, the message was sent about 9.30am Tuesday (1.30am Wednesday AEDT) and was accompanied by the release of another set of files linked to Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton.

“Warning. We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places The Interview be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to,” the note allegedly written by the hacking group — calling itself Guardians of Peace — reads.

“Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)

“Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment. All the world will denounce the SONY.”

Security outside The Theatre at Ace Hotel before the premiere of the film The Interview. Source: AFP

Franco and Rogen have since cancelled all of their publicity appearances for the controversial film following the threat from the Guardians of Peace.

In The Interview, due to be released on Dec. 25, two US journalists are recruited by the C.I.A. to kill the North Korean leader.

Seth Rogen and James Franco star in The Interview, set to be released later this month. Source: Getty Images