We often see movies which rake in the biggest box office earnings plastered across headlines, but what about the other side of the modern cinema coin? What are the most pirated movies?
Exclusive data provided to the Variety Intelligence Platform by research firm Muso painted a pretty clear picture of pirating activity in 2022 across an entire range of piracy sites – including illegal streaming, torrent, web download, and even stream-ripping platforms.
As to be expected in the superhero era of blockbuster cinema, flicks from both Marvel and DC – but mainly Marvel – held the bulk of last year’s market share, accounting for around 70% of piracy demand. Releases produced under the Disney banner made up exactly half of the Top 10.
“Spikes in a film’s piracy tend to coincide with its release on digital platforms, which enables the availability of high-quality pirated streams or downloads, as opposed to bootleg “cam-rip” versions illicitly recorded in a theatre,” explains Variety.
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“These copies, per a Muso analyst, “often provide an unsatisfactory viewing experience and can drive frustrated consumers into theatres for a better experience.” In some cases, however, sheer demand for a film can outweigh such concerns, i.e. Avatar: The Way of Water.“
“The shortening of theatrical windows since the COVD-19 pandemic has led to high-quality viewing options arriving quicker than ever. Indeed, titles like The Batman and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness landed on streaming services a mere 45-50 days after their theatrical debuts.”
“Top Gun: Maverick, on the other hand, had a nearly three-month window ahead of its release on VOD, with another four months passing before its streaming debut.”
“Producer-star Tom Cruise’s insistence on a long theatrical-exclusive run for the film cemented its box-office dominance and also helps account for its slightly lower levels of piracy, due to the lack of a high-quality digital copy on the market for months following its release.”
Check out the most pirated movies of 2022 (according to Variety) below.
The Most Pirated Movies Of 2022
- Spider-Man: Now Way Home (21%)
- The Batman (13%)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (10%)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (9%)
- Black Adam (9%)
- Uncharted (8%)
- Eternals (8%)
- Top Gun: Maverick (8%)
- Jurassic World Dominion (7%)
- Encanto (6%)
Other: 1%
Theatrical Windows Of 2022’S Most Pirated Movies
- Spider-Man: Now Way Home (86 days)
- The Batman (45 days)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (47 days)
- Thor: Love and Thunder (62 days)
- Black Adam (32 days)
- Uncharted (67 days)
- Eternals (68 days)
- Top Gun: Maverick (88 days)
- Jurassic World Dominion (35 days)
- Encanto (30 days)
