Hackers are holding a digital copy of the new "Pirates of the Caribbean 5" for ransom and threatening pre-release sneak peeks, but Disney's not playing and is working with the FBI.
The hackers have threatened to release the film in increments if Disney doesn't meet their demands, said Deadline.com.
While Disney didn't reveal which movie was being held for ransom, Deadline said it confirmed it was the Johnny Depp movie.
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" is scheduled to reach theaters on Memorial Day weekend May 26.
The hackers are demanding a huge sum be paid in Bitcoin, said The Hollywood Reporter. Bitcoin is virtual currency that was launched in 2009 that is decentralized and can be held anonymously, noted The Guardian.
The Los Angeles Times said the hacking occurred just weeks after the new season of the streaming series "Orange is the New Black" was stolen and 10 episodes were released when Netflix refused to pay off hackers.
The Times said the "Pirates of the Caribbean" hack was not related to the global ransomware attack that affected computers across 150 countries over the past week. Ransom-style computer attacks, which hackers prevent computer users from accessing their files until a fee is paid, has grown in popularity in the last few years, noted the newspaper.
The Depp-driven "The Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise has made $3.72 billion at the box office worldwide since the first of its four movies debuted in 2003, said Deadline.com.
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