Amy Pascal, the Sony executive whose emails were leaked during the North Korean movie hacking storm, is stepping down.
Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), was forced to apologise in December for leaked emails including one which saw her swap racially insensitive jokes about President Barack Obama.
A Sony statement on Thursday said Pascal, widely regarded as one of the most powerful women in Hollywood, would launch a "major new production venture" at the studio, which was rocked by the hacking storm centred on the satirical film The Interview.
"I have spent almost my entire professional life at Sony Pictures and I am energised to be starting this new chapter based at the company I call home," she said in a company statement.
"I have always wanted to be a producer. (Sony CEO) Michael (Lynton) and I have been talking about this transition for quite some time, and I am grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to pursue my long-held dream and for providing unparalleled support," she added.
Pascal apologised in December after the emergence of private emails which included an exchange with producer Scott Rudin where they joked about Obama's movie preferences.
In a separate damaging exchange with Pascal, Rudin referred to Angelina Jolie as a "spoiled brat."
The Interview was originally scheduled for a Christmas Day release, before Sony became the target of the biggest cyberattack in US corporate history.
Threats made by hackers prompted Sony to initially cancel its theatrical release. It was eventually screened in select art house cinemas, and released on the internet and via cable TV providers.
Washington has blamed North Korea for the hack on Sony - a claim Pyongyang has denied while still strongly condemning the film, which features a fictional plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong-un.
The Interview, which had a $US44 million ($A56.57 million) budget, has since become Sony's highest-grossing online film ever, reportedly recently passing the $US40 million mark on the internet and other small-screen formats.
The details of Pascal's new venture were due to be announced "shortly," Sony said.
But it says the venture will be her own company, supported by Sony and based at its California headquarters, and will "focus on movies, television and theatre."
As part of a four-year agreement, SPE will finance the venture and retain all distribution rights worldwide to films financed, it added.
Lynton praised his departing co-chairman.
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