Warner Bros.' $160M Sci-Fi Epic 'Dune' Leaked Online A Day Before Release

Los Angeles, October 22 - Warner Bros. Pictures' strategy of releasing its 2021 films day-and-date on HBO Max and in theaters is coming to haunt them big time. The Studio made it's one of the most ambitious films of 2021 "Dune" available on its streaming platform HBO Max a day before theatrical release.

However, Denis Villeneuve-directed couldn't prevent itself from hitting piracy as this epic sci-fi film leaked online in full HD quality a day before its American release. According to Variety, at least three major illegal streaming sites are hosting HD quality streaming copies of "Dune" in English, Danish, Spanish and Arabic subtitles.



Apart from leaking online, thousands of users are also hosting and sharing copies of the film on torrent sites, making it available easily to the users without getting paid. "Dune" isn't the only Hollywood blockbuster leaked online. The recently released "Black Widow" and Venom: Let There Be Carnage" had also succumbed to piracy. However, both "Black Widow" and "Venom 2" rarely leaked in high resolution unlike "Dune".

"Black Widow" is said to be the most pirated Hollywood film ever. Just like "Dune", "Black Widow" had also been released on Disney+ and in theaters simultaneousouly. It grossed approx $380M worldwide and was also a big hit on Disney+.

"Dune", however, despite leaking online in full HD prints, is not bothering Warner Bros. Pictures as reports say that the piracy is within normal studio expectations and it is also tracking to be half as much as other blockbusters in 2021. Meanwhile, according to a report from the Global Innovation Policy Center (via CNBC), the U.S. economy loses between $29.9 billion and $71 billion in revenue each year due to piracy.

Meanwhile, "Dune", which stars an ensemble cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem, has already been released in the international market and earned approx $130 million so far. At domestic market, where it was released on October 22, is projected to earn between $30 million and 40 million in the 3-day opening weekend. A sequel of this film is also in development at Warner Bros. studio.

Stay tuned... Stay tuned...