Amy Pascal will step down as co-chair of Sony Pictures Entertainment after hackers angry about a movie she championed mocking North Korea's dictator exposed a raft of embarrassing emails between Pascal and other Hollywood figures.

One of the most powerful women executives in Hollywood, Pascal had kept a low profile since her emails were leaked by hackers and widely reported by the media, particularly one in which she made racially insensitive remarks about President Barack Obama's taste in films.

Sony Pictures said Pascal will step down from her current post in May to launch her own production venture on the studio lot with its financial backing.