‘Iron Man 3’ Is Already Popping Up On Pirate Sites

Iron Man 3 is already one of the most pirated films on the internet.

Director Shane Black’s entry in the superhero franchise won’t open in the United States until May 3. However, many folks in North America have already seen the flick thanks to the pirated versions that are currently making the rounds.

A “cam” version of Iron Man 3 has been available on torrent and digital locker for several days now. In fact, the sequel became the third most pirated film on the internet last week.

Unfortunately for those hoping to get a sneak peek at the film before it arrives in theaters, one of the most heavily-trafficked bootlegs features Hungarian audio. Although English versions have been uploaded, comments from users suggest that the audio and video quality are far from perfect.

Despite these complaints about quality, people are still seeking out pirated copies of Iron Man 3. One version of the film has 15,000 concurrent downloaders as of this writing.

According to data collected by TorrentFreak, the camcorded version of Shane Black’s flick only was beaten by two films. The Tom Cruise action flick Jack Reacher was the most pirated movie last week, while Arnold Schwarzenegger’s big screen comeback The Last Stand landed in second place.

The Host, Gangster Squad, and G.I. Joe: Retalation also made the list, as did the comedies 21 and Over and Movie 43. However, they received fewer downloads than what is turning out to be one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the summer.

Despite the rampant piracy, Iron Man 3 has made quite a bit of money at the foreign box office. The film generated a hefty $195.3 million overseas. The movie is also expected to make a mint when it arrives in US theaters next Friday.

Do you plan to catch Iron Man 3 in theaters on May 3? Are you surprised that the sequel has already started making the rounds on pirate sites?