Singapore police arrested a 26-year-old man on April 24 for allegedly leaking Paramount’s upcoming Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender animated film after gaining unauthorized access to a media server.
The suspect was identified following a report on April 16 about circulating clips of the unreleased film on social media platforms, leading to his arrest within a day, according to police statements cited by The Straits Times.
Electronic devices seized from the man contained a copy of the full movie, which he allegedly downloaded from the server and later posted parts of online, police said.
If convicted of unauthorized access to computer material, the man faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, a fine not exceeding $50,000 (approximately €46,000), or both, under Singaporean law.
The film, originally titled The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, was announced in 2021 as the first animated movie in the Avatar franchise and is scheduled for release on Paramount Plus on October 9.
Paramount shifted the film from a planned theatrical release to a straight-to-streaming strategy in 2025 following the Paramount Skydance merger, a decision cited by the alleged leaker as motivation for the leak.
An X user operating under the handle @ImStillDissin posted two clips from the film on April 12, claiming Nickelodeon had accidentally emailed them the entire movie, a post that garnered over 30 million views before being removed via copyright strike.
The Hollywood Reporter interviewed the account holder, who stated they posted the clips to “troll a little bit” due to Paramount’s streaming-only release decision but denied planning to upload the full film after receiving it from a hacker linked to the PeggleCrew collective.
Paramount’s internal investigation concluded the leak was not accidental nor caused by a system vulnerability, and that no current employees were involved in the unauthorized disclosure.
Voice actress Michaela Jill Murphy, who voiced Toph Beifong in the original series, urged fans on TikTok to avoid engaging with the leaks out of respect for the creative team.
Animator Julia Schoel, who worked on Avatar Aang, criticized the leaker’s actions on X, stating that although she understood opposition to Paramount Plus, pirating the film after its official release would have been preferable to pre-release piracy.
What charges is the suspect facing?
The suspect is being investigated for unauthorized access to computer material under Singaporean law, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, a fine up to $50,000 (approximately €46,000), or both.
When is the Avatar movie scheduled to release?
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is set to debut on Paramount Plus on October 9, 2026, after being shifted from a theatrical release to a streaming-only release in 2025.