Chicago (IL) - Late yesterday, an illegal copy of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine leaked on the web -- one full month ahead of the official premiere slated for May 1. Naturally, it sent shivers down many Hollywood mogul's spines and also shocked analysts. It's also a big blow to 20th Century Fox, who fears the illegal copy and potentially skewed reviews could hurt the movie's revenue. Being an avid movies fan, I'm tempted to download it. On the other hand, I know it would be bad for my karma. Should I surrender? I (and many others) won't be buying our tickets when the time comes. Will you download or wait for the official release?

We've gotten used to a world where illegal copies of the latest Hollywood flix appear online immediately following the official premiere, thanks to individuals who record a movie in theater with a camcorder and post such washed out copies on the web. Sometimes however, digital copies hit the web before a movie premiers, usually via review copies released to the press in advance. You can identify the source of such copies as they are signed by alternating between color and black or white in set intervals. What we're definitely not used to, however, is finding one of the most-anticipated blockbuster releases a full month ahead of it's scheduled premiere.

One-of-a-kind leak

So far, 20th Century Fox has no idea how the movie escaped its tight security protocols. Despite collaborative efforts by the studio, FBI and MPAA to block sites that host illegal copies, nobody could stop it spreading through file sharing networks that are P2P-based. As a result, both the studio and analysts alike are shocked and afraid of the potential damage to movie revenue. The film maker is also concerned about unfavorable early online reviews based on an unfinished copy of the movie.

This one is not your usual Internet copy, though. It came from post-production, meaning it lacks special effects. Placeholder music and sound effects further spoil the experience.  Nevertheless, most occasional movie goers will fight the temptation to watch the heavily hyped release one month in advance. But not all will, and more than your typical spoilers are likely to spread.

Wolverine and hype now backfiring

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the fourth installment in the successful Marvell-licensed series. Basically a prequel to the X-Men trilogy, the move has teased fan's appetites by focusing on the charismatic character of a wolf-like mutant called Wolverine, played by Australian-born Hugh Jackman who also co-produced the movie. The leak couldn't come at a worse time -- during the peak of its multi-million dollar marketing blitz. As a result, however, thousands have already download the movie even since yesterday, based purely on the hype surrounding the upcoming release, or possibly the thrill of viewing something that's not yet available to the public.


To download or not to download?

Of course, true movie fans would never sacrifice the true joy of a collective, shared experience at a theater for a degraded, half-baked copy viewed on tiny computer screens. The problem is, true fans are only a fraction of a much broader target audience. Conspiracy theorists even speculate the studio may have intentionally leaked a half-finished copy of the movie to pump up the hype. If so, this is the most risky marketing tactic I have seen to date, unlikely to bear fruits.

ALL ABOUT WOLVERINE
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the prequel in the X-Men trilogy, focused on the character of charismatic mutant Wolverine, played by the Australian-born Hugh Jackman who also co-produced the movie. Investors are afraid that the movie revenue will suffer because pirated version hit the web a month before the official premiere slated for May 1.
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