Disney Hacked: Upcoming Film Held Hostage

STUDIO CITY, CA — Disney’s been hacked, and one of the studio’s upcoming films is being held for ransom, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger reportedly announced Monday.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Iger made the comments at a town hall meeting with ABC Employees, but he didn’t identify the movie being held hostage. Iger said the hackers are threatening to release segments of the film unless Disney pays a huge bitcoin ransom, and that is something the studio is not willing to do. Instead, Disney is reportedly cooperating with federal investigators. The big question now is: will the hackers follow through with their threat?

Films slated for release this year include "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," which opens this Friday, and "Cars 3." Other major franchise films already in the works over the next few years include: “Frozen 2,” "Star Wars: Episode IX," “Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2” “A Wrinkle In Time,” “Gigantic (3D),” “The Lion King (Live Action) (3D)” and “Indiana Jones.”

It’s not the first time hackers have held a film or television show for ransom.

“The ransom demand of Disney comes only weeks after a hacker uploaded 10 episodes of the upcoming season of Orange Is the New Black to The Pirate Bay after Netflix refused to pay an undisclosed amount. The episodes were posted on Pirate Bay six weeks ahead of the series' official June 9 launch,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The magazine also reports that a number of Hollywood talent agencies have been the target of hackers in recent weeks as the entertainment industry becomes a prime target in the exploding ransomware crimewave.

Read the full The Hollywood Reporter story here.

Photo: Disney CEO Robert Iger visits FOX Business Network's 'Markets Now' at FOX Studios on Sept. 24, 2013, in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images)