By BRANDON BAILEY & LINDSEY BAHR
Associated Press Writers

Sony Pictures said Wednesday that the investigation into the cyberattack that crippled its computer systems is continuing and denied a report that it is poised to name North Korea as the culprit.

Earlier Wednesday, Re/code reported that Sony Pictures planned to officially name North Korea as the source of the hack in an announcement that could come as early as today. It cited two sources close to the investigation.

“The investigation continues into this very sophisticated cyberattack. The re/code story is not accurate,” a Sony Pictures Entertainment representative told The Associated Press in a text message.

Speculation about a North Korean link to the Sony hacking has centered on that country’s angry denunciation of upcoming Sony comedy “The Interview,” in which Seth Rogen and James Franco star as television journalists involved in a CIA plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

“The Interview” comes out on Christmas. Over the summer, North Korea warned that the film’s release would be an “act of war that we will never tolerate.” It said the U.S. will face “merciless” retaliation.

The FBI has said that it is investigating the attack but has declined to comment on whether North Korea or another country was behind the attack.

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Bailey reported from San Francisco, Bahr from Los Angeles, and Eric Tucker from Washington, D.C.

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