Hackers threaten to leak 'Pirates 5' unless Disney pays up
Disney CEO Bob Iger doesn't plan to give in to demands, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Disney appears to be the latest target of hackers demanding a ransom.
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger reportedly told ABC employees Monday that hackers are threatening to leak an upcoming movie unless the company pays up a "large sum" in Bitcoin, according to sources speaking to The Hollywood Reporter. Disney won't pay the ransom and is waiting to see if the leak indeed occurs, Iger reportedly said.
Iger didn't disclose what the film in question was, though Deadline reports it's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales."
The hackers are threatening to release five minutes of the film and then release it in 20-minute increments until their demands are met, according to THR.
The Walt Disney Company is reportedly working with federal investigators. While "Pirates" has not been confirmed by Disney to be the affected film, it and "Cars 3" are the company's upcoming big-budget releases.
If it is the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean flick that hackers have, a leak could be a particularly big blow for Disney. The company spent over $300 million just making the blockbuster, reported The Daily Telegraph .
Disney isn't the only studio similarly threatened by hackers in recent weeks. A hacking group allegedly leaked 10 episodes of the upcoming season of "Orange is the New Black" in April after Netflix failed to fulfill a ransom demand. The same group named several other networks in that threat, including the Disney-owned ABC network.
The Walt Disney Company didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
First published May 15, 2:24 p.m. PT.
Update, 9:13 p.m. PT: Adds "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" as the film possibly stolen.
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