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A serious security breach has hit the Minecraft movie, just days after its release! An unfinished version of Warner Bros./Legendary’s highly anticipated film, which was still lacking final VFX, unexpectedly appeared online. This wasn’t a case of a moviegoer recording it in theaters; instead, it was the result of a significant security breach.
But don’t worry—things are under control now. According to Deadline, the studio has swiftly removed most of the links to the leaked movie. These links had been circulating on social media and directing users to raw footage and screenshots from the film, which was directed by Jared Hess.
This leak comes amid a growing concern over online piracy, especially after the pandemic led to an uptick in digital piracy. During the pandemic, many studios experimented with simultaneous theater and online releases, but this strategy backfired in some cases. A notorious example is Black Widow, which was released both in theaters and for paid online viewing (PVOD) at the same time. This led to a surge in piracy, costing producers money in both theater and online sales.
Other films like Dune and Suicide Squad also faced similar piracy issues despite sticking to a theatrical release strategy. However, The Minecraft Movie seems to have avoided a major blow to its box office despite the leak. The movie’s global box office performance remains strong, with a whopping $110.7 million already collected worldwide, and it’s still going up. The movie exceeded initial expectations, with Warner Bros. predicting a $65 million domestic opening, only to revise that number up to $75 million. Now, experts believe it could reach $135 million in the US and Canada alone.
Despite the hiccup, The Minecraft Movie is proving to be a huge hit, thanks in part to its star-studded cast, including Jack Black, Jason Momoa, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and Jennifer Coolidge. It’s safe to say that the leak didn’t ruin the movie’s success at the box office!