Piracy has pretty much plagued Hollywood since the dawn of VHS, but the ever increasing bandwidth of broadband internet is causing major headaches for studios. Torrent programmes are bypassing laws and methods of tracing pirates, and even new and more intricate ways of getting the latest movies are possible. Almost every Christmas sees the release of Oscar potentials online as screeners are copied. 2007 saw the leak of American Gangster a week before its initial release. But possibly the biggest blow to Hollywood yet is this week’s leak of the forthcoming summer blockbuster Wolverine.
A sort of prequel to the X-Men films, the Hugh Jackman vehicle is now working its way through the internet, a month before its worldwide release. The version is a workprint cut, meaning that many special effects are incomplete, some of the sound needs to be refined, and there are probably scenes that need to be added or cut. But, according to those who have watched it, the quality is quite good.
Needless to say, Fox are pretty unhappy with this, and are estimating that several hundred thousand people have viewed it. The FBI are currently investigating exactly how a workprint was leaked. Meanwhile, most established movie review websites are refraining from posting reviews of an incomplete movie. On the bright side, if those who watch the workprint enjoy it, not only will they most likely watch the complete version next month, but they may generate good word of mouth and actually boost box office intake. American Gangster, for example, went on to make $266 million worldwide.
