X-Men Origins: Wolverine komin á netið FBI leitar að sökudólginum

 

 

X-Men Origins: Wolverine made an unauthorized debut on the Internet on Tuesday, even though the film isn’t set for release in the U.S. until May 1. Wolverine, a spinoff of the X-Men film franchise, stars Hugh Jackman and is directed by Gavin Hood.

Web sites that managed to sneak a peek at the illegal download described it as a nearly complete, high-quality copy, but 20th Century Fox, the studio behind the film, tells a different story. In a statement released Wednesday, the studio said that the leaked Wolverine included temporary sound and music and was missing effects and some scenes, with other scenes unedited. The studio said it would be able to determine the source of the leak because of forensic marks on the unauthorized copy.

“We immediately contacted the appropriate authorities and had it removed,” though once a film begins circulating online, it can be difficult to stamp it out……The FBI and the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) also are actively investigating this crime. We are encouraged by the support of fansites condemning this illegal posting….”

PC

TUESDAY AM UPDATE: Estimates now are that the Hugh Jackman film, the 4th in the X-Men franchise for 20th Century Fox, was downloaded several 100,000 times from file sharing websites on Tuesday. This is a huge blow to the studio's major summer blockbuster if those viewers don't go to a theater to see the film. Meanwhile, the web piracy has created a lot of buzz around the pic, both positive and negative. The Internet is now filled with fanboy comments about whether Wolverine is any good or not. Despite the added publicity, this is a nightmare scenario for Fox.

2ND UPDATE: I've just been given this statement by 20th Century Fox:

"Last night, a stolen, incomplete and early version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was posted illegally on a website. It was without many effects, had missing and unedited scenes and temporary sound and music. We immediately contacted the appropriate legal authorities and had it removed. We forensically mark our content so we can identify sources that make it available or download it. The source of the initial leak and any subsequent postings will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law – the courts have handed down significant criminal sentences for such acts in the past. The FBI and the MPAA also are actively investigating this crime. We are encouraged by the support of fansites condemning this illegal posting and pointing out that such theft undermines the enormous efforts of the filmmakers and actors, and above all, hurts the fans of the film."

NF