‘A Minecraft Movie’: Unfinished Version Leaks Online in Rare Security Breach

An unfinished version of “A Minecraft Movie” leaked online in advance of the video game adaptation’s big-screen debut. Screenshots and footage from the fantasy adventure were being shared widely on social media platforms this week, and were also available on file sharing sites. The images and scenes have uncompleted visual effects. Most of the footage was quickly taken down by the rights holders.

Although pirated footage is a common problem for major film releases, it’s rare to have a working print leak online in this way, raising questions about how such an early version of the movie was accessed, stolen and then shared.

The leaks didn’t seem to dampen turnout, however. Produced by Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment, “A Minecraft Movie” is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest hits. The film, which stars Jason Momoa and Jack Black, is on target to debut to more than $130 million, which should reinvigorate the slumping box office. At this pace, “A Minecraft Movie” is rivaling the $146.3 million debut of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which set a record for openings of films based on video games.

“A Minecraft Movie” cost $150 million to produce. The story follows four misfits who are sucked through a portal into a cubic world. Officially released in 2011, “Minecraft” has become one of the most popular video game properties in the world and has spawned several spinoffs, as well as an endless array of merchandise.

Spokespeople for Warner Bros. and Legendary did not immediately comment on the leaks.