Pirated copies of the Blu-ray version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens have appeared online, two weeks before the scheduled retail release of the movie.
According to the website TorrentFreak, a source of piracy information, the blockbuster movie, which was scheduled for public release in early April, had been downloaded 250,000 times within 12 hours of its unauthorized posting.
The site added that the number of downloads will likely reach the millions in coming weeks.
The movie was reported to have grossed well over $2 billion in worldwide box office sales, making it a huge moneymaker for Disney.
Low-quality copies made by people holding cameras in the theater had been available since the movie opened in December of last year, but according to TorrentFreak, an image that accompanies the leaked copy indicates the source was a Blu-ray disc.
According to TorrentFreak, the pirated version of the movie will likely diminish potential profits.
