Singapore authorities arrested a 26-year-old man accused of leaking Avatar: The Last Airbender, the Paramount+ animated film based on the popular Avatar franchise, sources familiar with the case confirmed to Variety.
The local police issued a statement indicating that the suspect obtained unauthorized remote access to a media server from which they downloaded a digital copy of the film —not yet released— and then distributed it on the internet.
During the detention, the authorities seized electronic devices that included said copy.
According to Singaporean law, unauthorized access to computer material is punishable by up to seven years in prison and
a maximum fine of $50,000.
The full movie was published on the social network X. Sources cited by the specialized media specified that the leak did not originate within the studio.
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Authorities seized electronic devices during the arrest, confirming the illegal possession and distribution of a digital copy of the anticipated film (Paramount)
The Australian-based animation studio Flying Bark Productions, which collaborated on the production of the film, also ruled out being the source of the leak.
“It was heartbreaking to see images of
Avatar: The Last Airbender leak online. This leak did not originate at Flying Bark,” a studio spokesperson noted, according to Variety, adding that the company recognizes the work of the filmmakers, cast, and animators who worked hard to produce the film.
Animators who worked on the project expressed their frustration on social media. Animator
Julia Schoel shared a message on X.
“We worked on the Aang movie for years with the expectation of celebrating all our effort in theaters… only to see people leak the movie without ceremony and pass our shots on Twitter as if they were candy,” he said. The Australian studio Flying Bark Productions, responsible for the animation of the film, ruled out being the source of the leak and expressed its support for the creative team (Paramount)
While piracy is common on social media platforms, it is very unusual for an entire film to be leaked so far in advance of its release date.
The controversy surrounding the film did not begin with the leak. Last December, Paramount+ announced that the film, initially scheduled to be released in theaters on October 9, would be released exclusively on its streaming platform, which provoked the rejection of many fans of the saga.
The film’s director,
Lauren Montgomery, expressed her displeasure with that decision in an Instagram post last month, after announcing that production had concluded.
“We screened the final film for the team and celebrated the end of a four-year journey,” he wrote. “The recent decision to move from cinema to streaming might give the impression that the quality wasn’t sufficient, but nothing could be further from the truth. This film deserves to be seen on a big screen.” The animated film revisits the story of Aang and his friends in a dangerous global quest to save their culture (Nickelodeon)
What the animated movie “Avatar” is about
Avatar: The Last Airbender revisits the story of the characters from the original animated series in their
adult stage, according to the official synopsis released by Paramount.
Avatar Aang discovers the existence of an ancestral power that could save his culture from extinction and embarks, along with his friends, on a global quest to find it before it falls into the wrong hands and endangers the peace they struggled so hard to achieve.
The voice cast includes singer and actor
Eric Nam as Aang;
Dave Bautista as the main antagonist;
Steven Yeun in the role of Fire Lord Zuko;
Jessica Matten as Katara;
Román Zaragoza as Sokka; and
Dionne Quan as Toph.
In supporting roles are Oscar winners
Taika Waititi and
Ke Huy Quan, as well as
Freida Pinto and
Geraldine Viswanathan. Veteran voice actor
Dee Bradley Baker reprises his roles as Momo and Appa.
The film was animated by Flying Bark Productions and co-directed by William Mata along with Lauren Montgomery. Its premiere is scheduled for
October 9, 2026, exclusively on
Paramount+.
