Welcome to 2017: Hackers steal unreleased Disney film and hold it for ransom

As a reminder we’re in the peak age of technology where data is invaluable, apparently, hackers stole a new Disney film and are holding it ransom.

Remember a couple of decades ago when the internet was new and dangerous and the dial-up sound was burned into our brains forever? Well, the internet’s come a long way since then. And so has social justice, really. Because today’s new brand of tyranny is more digital and a little more … Disney.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Disney’s CEO Bob Iger confirmed that an upcoming film was stolen. Although he didn’t say which one, The Hollywood Reporter reminded everyone that both Pirates of the Caribbean 5 and Cars 3 come out this summer.

Of course, Pirates of the Caribbean seems like the obvious choice considering the worth of the franchise. On the other hand, Cars has been looking pretty grim lately, so it jumped on everyone’s radar.

According to THR, this is how things are expected to go:

"The Disney chief said the hackers demanded that a huge sum be paid in Bitcoin. They said they would release five minutes of the film at first, and then in 20-minute chunks until their financial demands are met."

If Disney doesn’t pay up, they risk losing a lot of money at the box office. Because if the film appears online, people will have less incentive to see it. Especially considering the sheer amount of spoilers a Pirates of the Caribbean leak would unleash. I mean, the fastest way to sink a ship is a leak, right?

(Sorry, not sorry.)

Like the Orange is the New Black debacle of recent memory proved, hacker groups don’t kid when it comes to ransoms or BitCoin. Unfortunately, the internet is a great shield when it comes to masking people’s identities.

If Dead Men Tell No Tales, then hackers hack real good. It should be interesting to see how Disney retaliates. The report also stated the company is working with federal investigators.

Home/Movies