Two weeks after a Paramount+ film leak went viral online, the alleged cyber criminal responsible has been arrested in Singapore, Deadline reported Friday.
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An unidentified 26-year-old man has been detained for leaking the upcoming animated movie Avatar: The Last Airbender after accessing a media server without authorization. Such an offense carries a maximum jail term of seven years, fines up to $50,000, or both.
According to a report from The Straits Times, authorities confiscated multiple electronic devices. The investigation revealed that "the man had gained unauthorized remote access to the server and downloaded the film."
On April 12, a user on X shared clips of the unreleased film, claiming that someone at Nickelodeon "accidentally emailed" it.
The illegally shared unreleased film clips generated over 15 million views, as anime fans debated the video's authenticity online.
Avatar Voice Actor Begs Fans Not to Engage With Leak
Actor Michaela Jill Murphy, the original voice actor for Toph Beifong, shared TikTok videos imploring fans to avoid watching leaked clips out of respect for the animators at Flying Bark. Murphy noted that the Flying Bark animation crew worked tirelessly on the project. Under the correct format, and at the proper time, Murphy believes fans should stream the project in October.
"If you want to be respectful, and if you want to know how I feel, stop sharing it. Stop consuming it. Stop talking about it. And watch it when it comes out," Murphy said. "That's what I'm doing. And if you want to respect the creators and respect the cast and respect me and respect the art, then stop sharing it and editing it and looking at it and commenting about it."
Originally, the film was scheduled for a theatrical release. Instead, the film will be available to stream October 9, 2026 on Paramount+. It will be the first animated movie of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
