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Disney Chief Bob Iger Says Hackers Claim To Have Stolen Upcoming Movie (hollywoodreporter.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the ransom-or-else dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Hollywood Reporter: Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed Monday that hackers claiming to have access to a Disney movie threatened to release it unless the studio paid a ransom. Iger didn't disclose the name of the film, but said Disney is refusing to pay. The studio is working with federal investigators. Iger's comments came during a town hall meeting with ABC employees in New York City, according to multiple sources. 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. While movie piracy has long been a scourge, ransoms appear to be a new twist. UPDATE: According to Deadline, the movie in question appears to be the upcoming film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Disney appears to be working with the FBI and will not pay the ransom.

5 of 121 comments (clear)

  1. Piracy? by halltk1983 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Too bad they already misappropriated the term piracy for online file sharing. This seems more fitting of the name. Ironic, given the content of the theft.

    --
    Watch for Penguins, they eat Apples and throw rocks at Windows.
    1. Re:Piracy? by 91degrees · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But who cares? Pirates in the media are seen as heroic romantic figures. Jack Sparrow is very much a protagonist. Pirates of Penzance has a band of gentlemanly pirates. Even the villains like Captain Hook are presented as charismatic leaders.

      And even if they weren't, nobody associates media pirates with historical pirates. The connection makes a good joke but that's about it.

  2. They should threaten to send it to movie critics by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Give us the moneys or we show the movie critics how awful it is!" warned the pirates.

    In other news, this is the lamest publicity stunt ever.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  3. Awwww by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Did shipping jobs overseas backfire?

    Here's the tiniest violin, made in the USA, playing just for you.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Re: so, quit outsourcing, esp. your security. by Kabukiwookie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you think hiring professionals is expensive, wait until you've hired some amateurs.

    --
    The mountains of madness have many little plateaus of sanity - Terry Pratchett.