this is "nightline." >> tonight, sony hackers making new threats in advance of "the interview," the movie making fun of a north korean dictator. they're invoking 9/11, and implying they'll target american movie theaters. with the stars can selling their upcoming interviews, how serious is the security threat? plus, flipping 2.0. these houses went from beasts to beauties. but it's not like what you see in the reality shows. tonight, the new way you can flip homes for cash. and body guard confidential. jen for lawrence sharing the spotlight with a shandsome security detail. and she's not the only one. whitney houston sang "i will always love you." how real is bodyguard love?

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good evening. tonight, the sony cyber attackers issuing new threats, now suggesting they'll take revenge on movie here theaters

slated to play "the interview." what started at hollywood gossip turning into a possible terror threat. just how credible is the threat? here's abc's cecilia vega. >> reporter: from a corporation under siege to a nation potentially under attack. today, hackers claiming they broke into sony's computer network issuing their most ominous warning yet. a threat invoking 9/11, imflipping attacks at theaters plank to show "the interview," that seth rogen and james franco comedy about journalists attempting to assassinate kim jong-un. >> you want us to kill the leader of north korea? >> yes. >> what? >> reporter: the group claiming responsibility for the hack calling itselves guardians of peace, saying online, we recommend to keep yourself distant. if your house is nearby, you'd better leave. promising, soon, all the world will see what an awful movie sony has made. the world will be full of fear. and now, tonight, sony

apparently backing down. telling theater owners they are free not to run the $44 million feature. >> you want to go kill kim jong-un? >> totally. it's a date. >> reporter: sony not commenting on the latest threat. but the movie's stars canceled a press tour in the wake of today's message. seth rogen and james franco earlier this week telling abc's george stephanopoulos they stand by their comedy. >> any second thoughts at all? >> at this point, it's too late to have any, really. i mean, no, i mean, i think, again, i like the movie. i can't in my head overconnect everything surrounding it with the movie itself. we set out to make a movie that was really entertaining to audiences and i genuinely think we did that and that's where my job ends. >> reporter: what started with the cyber breach now elevated to an issue of national security. the fbi is investigating. the department of homeland security says, "at this time, there is no credible initem jtee

to indicate an active plot against mu view theaters in the united states." >> the threat appears to be menacing. it appears to be a continuation of the cyber attack against sony as opposed to a credible, legitimate threat of physical harm. >> reporter: it has been one taunt after the next from hackers diving into the deep recesses of sony's computer networks. data like social security numbers and salaries released in batches. now out there for the world to see. >> the name's bond. james bond. >> reporter: an early version of the top secret script to the newest 007 movie. stolen just as filming is set to begin. ♪ it's a hard knock life for you ♪ >> reporter: and movies like "annie" not yet in theaters. then, the e-mails. no celebrity seemed to escape. two of the top producers in hollywood forced to apologize. scott rudin and amy pascal reportedly caught bashing angelina jolie, saying she

lacked talent and had an ego. the pair even making racial jokes about president obama, saying he might like the movie "django unchained" or "12 years a slave." brad pitt leading the backlash, speaking out to access hollywood. >> someone's conversation in e-mail or in person should be private. >> well, this has been an unpulu unprecedented attack. nothing like this has ever happened before. >> reporter: and could it be behind it all, north korea? north korean government website called "the interview" an evil act of provocation and one south korean think tank claims the hermit nation has a team of hackers capable of the attack. >> sony is in a no-win situation. if they pull the movie, they are seen as kowtowing to bullies. if they don't pull the movie, then, and if something does happen, they're putting lives at risk.

>> reporter: but can hollywood be bullied? hollywood has caved from fresh from outside group claiming offense or sensitivities. in the 2012 remake of "red dawn." chinese villains were replaced with north koreans after angry editorials appeared in chinese newspapers. following worldwide riots, south park creator saw an opportunity for satire -- >> a cartoon is about to air on american television with -- with the muslim prophet mohammed as a character. >> reporter: but comedy central balked, sensoring the prophet's image. and in one of the most controversial films in recent years, "the passion of the christ," 20th century fox passed on tis tdistribution rights. >> controversy like this can help the buzz of a movie, but in

this case now, turning the corner and now a lot of people are afraid to go. i've talked to many people today who are now second-guessing themselves if they should be going to screenings of this movie. >> reporter: the hack already hitting sony where it hurts, in the wallet. sony stock down 10% in the last two weeks. some analysts say they could spend millions in the fallout. and today, the first lawsuit. one class action suit by two former employees, claiming sony failed to protect confidential information, calling it an epic nightmare, much better suited to a cinematic thriller than to real life. >> hackers are not going anywhere. the stakes are higher now. there's more to gain. and we fully expect to see a continuing targeting of organizations all over the world. >> reporter: it's being called the most massive corporate cyber attack ever and there could still be more to come. the hackers promising this is just the first part of a gift they'll deliver just in time for christmas.

for "nightline," i'm cecilia vega in los angeles. up next, we're taking you on a tour inside the world of house flipping, to find out the tricks that transform ho-hum into oh, wow. and later on "nightline," when a bodyguard is always in the picture, it helps if he's photo jennic. why celebrities like jennifer lawrence are leaning on those broad shoulders. so you can see like right here i can just... you know, check my policy here, add a car, ah speak to customer service, check on a claim...you know, all with the ah, tap of my geico app. oh, that's so cool. well, i would disagree with you but, ah, that would make me a liar. no dude, you're on the jumbotron! whoa. ah...yeah, pretty much walked into that one. geico anywhere anytime. just a tap away on the geico app.

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may be doing it all wrong. and there's a steep learning curve. it's expensive, competitive, and it can be heartbreaking. but with a lot of hard work, and a few insider tips, these home makeovers can pay off, big time. here's abc's rebecca jarvis, for our series, "realty check." >> reporter: it's 9:00 a.m. in tempe, arizona. this modest three bedroom home is being completely gutted. countertops, warms, even an old fireplace torn out. the person calling the shots? this mom of five and former nurse, maria. >> our miracle baby. >> reporter: now, she's a full-time real estate investor in the ever competitive world of flipping. howl many houses have you flipped? >> 28 homes now. >> reporter: 28. on reality tv, they do it under a tight timeline. >> 25 days into our 30-day flip. >> reporter: with shows like

"flip it to win it" and "flip or flop." but that's not how you make the most money these days. >> i call reality tv unrealistic television when it comes to real estate. >> reporter: it's not that easy. >> no, it's not. if you are doing an extensive remodel, it's going to take two to three months. >> reporter: in this new market, flipping phenoms like maria are on the rise. they are going that extra mile, reaping the biggest returns. there is definitely a school of thought that says this is just about slapping lipstick on a pig. get in, get out, move on. you are not doing that. >> people want what the joneses have. there isn't the soccer mom of old that will come in in the t-shirts and not care. she wants that sexy kitchen. she wants, you know, all of those other little items that make a difference in a home. not saying you blow your budget, because at the end of the day, we still have a budget. >> reporter: real estate trend watcher darren bloomquist says

the most successful flips these days involve sizable investment. >> i think this market is much harsher on flippers than the last recovery or boone that we had. the more you put into a property, the more return you get. on a flip. up until this magic number, which is 23%. >> reporter: and take about half a year to complete. >> the flippers who are succeeding are taking longer to flip. they're making their product the best product in the neighborhood and so if a buyer comes into that neighborhood, their home is the first choice. >> reporter: case in point, this property, located in a phoenix neighborhood. a home that's seen better days. and that's putting it lightly. maria bought it for $180,000 back in may. and spent the last six months transforming it into this. the makeover didn't come cheap. featuring granite and glass tiling, $900. the sleek flooring running

$4,400. maria's paying a staging company to help buyers envision themselves living here. >> this staging on this house was $650 a month. it's clean, it's uncluttered. it's got nice lines. the blues are really trendy right now. and we got this one under contract the first week. >> reporter: the house closed last month for $265,000. maria walks away with a little more than $20,000 after expenses. but across town, the clock is ticking on her newest project. i see either a starter family or even a family that has a couple of teenagers, this would be perfect for. our net gain on this property is going to be probably $35,000. now we're a very flat market. so, rehabbers have had to get a lot more creative and do things the old school way. every neighborhood has a house that's abandoned that is not taken care of, that has a story. you just have to knock on the door and talk to somebody,

because not everybody sees the house as an asset. >> reporter: her first tip, hunt for the right home. how do you do that? >> there still is no substitution for driving around and word of mouth. >> we look at every house to see if there's a deal. >> reporter: she and husband gary spend days scouting distress eed properties. >> probably thinks we're stalking. and this one, every time i go by, looks worse and worse. >> reporter: if they spot something they like, they send a letter. >> i sent out 50 letters this week. driving around, looking to go directly with a homeowner, i can beat out a lot of my competition. >> reporter: which brings us to tip number two. never fall in love with a property. how competitive is the market? >> we're very competitive now. just because our inventory is down. you can have -- i think i heard the other day, 32 offers on one property. >> reporter: 32 offers? which means you're going to overpay for that property. >> yes. what they're trying to do, if it's that low, they're trying to create a bidding war. well, time-out. i'm out of there.

i don't play that, because i'm not going to lose money -- >> reporter: just to get the house that you are going to try to sell for more money. >> exactly. there's never a property that i can't walk away from. >> reporter: most people would have run away from this property. >> my husband says, the smell of dog and cat urine is my aphrodisiac. i rush in and want to make a house beautiful. >> reporter: turning it into this was not simple feat. granite countertops, $1,800. backyard overall, 800 bucks. real life doll house, another $800. the doll house, a tell-tale sign that this property was once home to a child. >> there was a note from a little girl that used to live here, it just brings me to tears. she wrote, please take care of my home, i loved this house, and i thought, you know, that's the victims in all of this. >> reporter: tip three, diy is for dummies.

>> you don't want to do the flipping, the rehabbing yourself. you need to have a team around you. it's not a one-person show. and up need a license, bonded and sured contractor. >> reporter: maria works closely with contractor dean young. he's leading the charge at maria's newest project. >> our company has done about 600 flips. >> reporter: but he knows all too well, flipping faux pas can lead to realty return. >> they try to clean up the carpet or just touch up the walls and they don't realize, when somebody is buying a house, they want a house that looks brand new. >> reporter: you are not only treating this as your livelihood, this is also about revitalizing neighborhoods. >> i want to leave a positive mark on that community and i want people to love my houses. but every time i sell a home, it's kind of sad, because i put so much into that house and i picked out those finishes and i just really want people to love it. >> reporter: flipping it forward, one house at a time.

for "nightline," i'm rebecca jarvis in phoenix. next, with jennifer lawrence's buff bodyguards attracting fans of his own, why so many stars are finding security in hiring eye candy. hi, i'm jay farner, president of quicken loans. and we're here in detroit with our amazing team members. the best part about working with quicken loans, is that you have a mortgage expert on the other line that's always gonna find out the best possible solution. we just don't treat you as a loan number. we wanna make sure that we help you out. we're people just like them. ya know, and we know that they have jobs, they have kids, they have soccer. their home is where their heart is. so we wanna make sure that we take care of them. call quicken loans today for a mortgage experience that's engineered to amaze! eh, yea, actually i do. one. it's mucinex fast-max night time and it's got a nasal decongestant. is that really a thing?

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so, in case you're wondering what's the hottest celebrity accessory these days, for some, it's not major bling. it's a buff bodyguard. blurring the line between

business and pleasure. oscar winner jennifer lawrence is used to being noticed everywhere she goes. yesterday, as she arrived at l.a.x., all eyes were on the guy by her side. he's her body guard. >> based in los angeles. we don't know his name yet, but it's causing a huge stir on social media. >> reporter: it's no surprise. j-law is known for hiring hot help. some of her other bodyguards even have their own adoring fans. >> back off. >> reporter: but these highly trained professionals have a tough job to do. look at what she goes through at the airport. >> a-list oscar winner, i mean, she has reached a different level where she's going to need more security. a higher standard of security. >> reporter: but with all that intimacy, it not hard to see why sometimes sparks can fly. >> of course you're going to fall in love with them at some point. it's only natural when you spend so much time with somebody and you kind of really only have them at your side. >> reporter: heidi klum had an

18-month relationship with her bodyguard. the super model said he was there for her during a difficult divorce. >> these are the most trusted people that celebrities have. when you really don't know who to trust, the person that you can trust the most is your body guard. >> reporter: when scarlett johansson was photographed lounging around with her bodyguard, they faced rumors that things weren't strictly professional. for kim kardashian, that ever present source of security became the ultimate arm candy. >> hey. >> reporter: all it took was one shirtless look at her australian body guard and she was on the prowl. but the affair was not meant to last. >> he's my body guard! >> reporter: after all, romancing a board guard can't always be as magical as it was for whitney houston in "the godguagod

godbodyguard." ♪ will always love you >> and finally tonight, we want to welcome the newest member of the "nightline" family, my co-anchor dan harris and his lovely wife became parents last night with the arrival of their fabulous new son, alexander. congratulations to the harrises. yet another reason to stay up late. thanks for watching abc news. tune into "good morning america" tomorrow and as always, we're online at abcnews.com. good night, america.

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