A high-quality copy of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has reportedly been stolen, and hackers are threatening to put it online if Disney doesn’t pay a ransom. In a Monday town hall meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed a movie was stolen, but didn’t reveal the title
Iger told employees Disney is working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in an effort to figure out where the hack originated from. It’s unclear if Disney’s predicament is related to the situation recently faced by Netflix. In that case, season five of Orange Is the New Black was released online ahead of its June 9 debut after Netflix refused to pay a ransom.
Hackers are reportedly demanding a “huge sum” from Disney in Bitcoin, otherwise the movie will be put online. Iger said hackers are threatening to post the first five minutes of the film and will continue to leak it in 20-minute increments until the ransom is paid.
If the movie stolen by hackers is indeed the next Pirates movie, it would be a big blow for Disney. Although the franchise has been on a decline domestically, it continues to do well overseas.
Seeing the movie released online ahead of its theatrical release would certainly hurt its chances of making a profit.
Since Disney is reportedly refusing to pay the ransom, we may see the movie start popping up online soon.