A 26-year-old suspect has been arrested in Singapore for leaking Paramount+‘s unreleased animated feature “The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender” online — in what is being described as one of the largest movie leaks in recent memory.
According to Singapore’s Straits Times and sources familiar with the situation, the suspect gained unauthorized remote access to a media server, downloaded a digital copy of the film, and distributed it on social media platform X. During the arrest, authorities seized multiple electronic devices, including an unreleased digital copy of the film.
Under Singapore’s computer access laws, unauthorized access to computer material carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and/or a fine of up to S$50,000.
Singapore police received a report on April 16 about clips from the unreleased film circulating on social media and authorities identified the suspect within a single day.
In an official statement, police warned: “The police take a serious view against any unauthorized access to computer systems,” adding that anyone involved in such activity will be dealt with firmly under the law.
READ MORE: ‘Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender’ Skips Theaters and Heads Straight to Paramount+ Streaming
On April 12, a Singapore-based user posted two short clips from the film on X, with the first post alone accumulating over 30 million views.
The user also threatened to stream the entire film unless Paramount released an official trailer within days. Adding to the damage, the user posted a still from the film’s end credits, publicly revealing previously undisclosed voice cast members and their roles.
The clips then rapidly spread across multiple platforms, including 4Chan and X. Despite Paramount’s takedown efforts, the film remained viewable on X.
Paramount+’s internal investigation confirmed the leak did not originate from within the studio. Australian animation house Flying Bark Productions — which produced the film’s animation — also issued an official statement, saying:
“It was heartbreaking to see footage from “The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender” leak online. This leak did not originate from Flying Bark. Our studio proudly partnered on the production until the very end, and we acknowledge the filmmakers, cast, artists, and animators who worked tirelessly to produce this incredibly crafted film.”
Artists who worked on the film took to social media to express their frustration. Animator Julia Schoel wrote on X:
“We worked on the Aang movie for years with the expectation that we’d get to celebrate all of our hard work in theaters… just to see people unceremoniously leak the film and pass our shots around on Twitter like candy.”
