In an ironic instance of real life piracy, Disney has found themselves in a sticky situation, as the studio’s blockbuster summer tentpole, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is being held hostage by real-life pirates.
Deadline reports that the hackers are holding a copy of Pirates of the Caribbean 5 hostage in exchange for an enormous sum of money, which Disney has been instructed to pay to Bitcoin. Disney has already enlisted the FBI’s help in the case.
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There’s been no official statement from Disney, but reports surrounding the incident say the studio is not going to pay the hackers’ ransom. There was word of the incident occurring, but Disney wouldn’t reveal which film in their slate had been compromised. Now we know, though.
There have been plenty of high profile movie leaks as the digital age has come about; the good news for Pirates of the Caribbean is that it is the sort of blockbuster event film that brings the whole family out – and it’s definitely something worth seeing on the big screen. Those two factors – combined with the Memorial Day holiday release – should help insulate Disney from losing its core audience for the film; there will always be those who pirate it for free – but how many of those viewers were going to ever invest in the theatrical experience? Really?
More Pirates of the Caribbean News:
- First Look at Paul McCartney in Pirates of the Caribbean
- Jack Sparrow Shines in New TV Spot
- Depp Surprises Disneyland Visitors
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will be in theaters on May 26th – or whenever it gets leaked to the Internet.
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