Amazon Leak of Jason Statham's 'Mutiny' Movie Sparks $Millions in Potential Losses
Amazon has found itself in hot water after accidentally leaking Jason Statham's latest action movie Mutiny on its Prime Video service days before its theatrical release. The film, which was scheduled to hit theaters this weekend in the US, was briefly available for streaming on Amazon due to a mistake on the platform's product detail page.
According to sources close to the project, the movie was up for a matter of hours earlier this week after it was posted without authorization. Some subscribers took advantage of the error and began watching the film, with one user posting on social media: 'I'm watching Jason Statham's new movie Mutiny, streaming on Amazon for free right now. This has to be a huge mistake, right? My theater has showtimes starting this week!'
Lionsgate is releasing Mutiny as an action thriller and has reportedly paid eight figures for the film. With a budget of $50 million plus, the leak is expected to have significant financial implications for international buyers who may need to write off losses due to piracy.
Amazon's Premium VOD partner on the pic is facing pressure from distributors to make good on the mistake, with one fuming buyer stating: 'This is an unprecedented situation. It's a major f*ck-up. I've never been in this situation before. What's clear is that this is a multimillion-dollar problem for Amazon.'
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of movies being handled by streamers, with Netflix currently facing a $105 million lawsuit over the theft of an unreleased Nicolas Cage movie.