Hackers Threaten to Leak Upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean Film Unless Disney Pays Ransom

Deadline reports the FBI is involved in the investigation

By McKenna Aiello May 16, 2017 1:27 AMTags

Hackers are reportedly holding Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales hostage. 

Online pirates who claim to have the unreleased action flick in their possession are threatening to leak it unless Disney pays up, according to Deadline. The hackers have demanded an "enormous amount" of money via an online currency called Bitcoin, and will release the movie in increments until the ransom is met. 

The publication reports that the FBI is involved in the investigation, and Disney has no plans to concede to the requests. 

E! News has reached out to the studio for comment, but CEO Bob Iger allegedly briefed ABC employees on the incident Monday morning, but did not confirm Pirates is the film at risk.

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Pirates of the Caribbean World Premieres: 2003 vs. 2017
Walt Disney Studios

The fifth installment of the highly-anticipated franchise stars Javier Bardem as the villain opposite Captain Jack Sparrow's Johnny Depp. Other Pirates favorites set to return include Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, Keira Knightly as Elizabeth Swann and Geoffrey Rush as Captain Hector Barbossa. 

Shanghai Disney Resort hosted the movie's world premiere, followed by another star-studded event in Paris and the U.S. premiere in Los Angeles on May 18.

Director Joachim Ronning squashed rumors that Dead Men Tell No Tales would be franchise's last, teasing to CinemaBlend, "This is the beginning of the finale...But I don't know if it's the last one, or if they'll make another 10 of them. I don't know! But I hope so!"

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales premieres nationwide May 26.