With Netflix hacked and the upcoming season’s opening episode of Orange Is the New Black already leaked online, will other television series and movies also threatened by the organization styling itself as TheDarkOverlord also start appearing online? This leak involves more than just Netflix and its slate of shows like OITNB. As reported by Variety , it may well be that shows produced by other companies – like NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice , CBS’s NCIS Los Angeles and Fox’s New Girl are also at risk of being leaked.
The reason TheDarkOverlord hacked Netflix shows – as well as those of other online and broadcast networks – appears to be financial extortion. The organization reportedly demanded payment from Netflix in return for not leaking OITNB episodes to online torrent sites. Netflix apparently refused to make the demanded payment.
https://twitter.com/upnorthteam/status/858805984667598849
After this attempt at blackmail failed, the organization must have decided to make an example of Netflix so that the other media corporations would be more cooperative. This is made clear by a Twitter message posted by TheDarkOverlord in which they threatened other networks and studios who hadn’t yet paid up.
“Who is next on the list? FOX, IFC, NAT GEO, and ABC. Oh, what fun we’re all going to have. We’re not playing any games anymore.”
The actual source of the leak is suspected to be – although not yet confirmed to be – Larson Studios audio post production company. This well-respected and award-winning firm apparently experienced a breach of security that permitted TheDarkOverlord group to gain access to a number of TV series and movies then being edited.
But this release of Netflix hacked shows isn’t the end of the matter. Far from it. TheDarkOverlord group provided a list of shows and movies at risk, along with screenshots and other evidence proving that they had actually obtained these shows or movies, some of which have yet to be released.
A Midsummers Nightmare – Television Movie
Above Suspicion – Movie
Bill Nye Saves The World – Television Series
Breakthrough – Television Series
Brockmire – Television Series
Bunkd – Television Series
Celebrity Apprentice (The Apprentice) – Television Series
Food Fact or Fiction – Television Series
Handsome – Movie
Hopefuls – Television Series
Hum – Short
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Television Series
Jason Alexander Project – Television Series
“Liza Koshy Special” – YouTube
Lucha Underground – Television Series
Lucky Roll – Television Series
Making History – Television Series
Man Seeking Woman – Television Series
Max and Shred – Television Series
Mega Park – Television Series
NCIS Los Angeles – Television Series
New Girl – Television Series
Orange Is The New Black – Television Series
Portlandia – Television Series
Rebel In The Rye – Movie
Steve Harveys Funderdome – Television Series
Story of God with Morgan Freeman – Television Series
Superhuman – Television Series
The Arrangement – Television Series
The Catch – Television Series
The Middle – Television Series
The Stanley Dynamic – Television Series
The Thundermans – Television Series
Undeniable with Joe Buck – Television Series
Win It All – Movie
X Company – Television Series
XXX Return of Xander Cage – Movie
It remains to be seen whether any of the other companies under threat will agree to pay to protect their property from early release. On the one hand, such a release could be extremely damaging to their short-term profitability. On the other hand, paying blackmailers will almost certainly guarantee similar occurrences in the future. There’s an old saying that once one pays the Danegeld, one never gets rid of the Dane.
Read the story of how #Netflix refused to get blackmailed by #TheDarkOverload , but got hacked instead! #7Watchlist https://t.co/jhd5W3VLXc pic.twitter.com/9M1NfSUJpo
— 7watchlist (@7watchlist) April 30, 2017
Of course, with Netflix hacked and other major networks at risk, it’s safe to assume that much more stringent security measures will be put in place in the future. So these companies may choose to pay off now on the assumption that they will be able to avoid getting hacked in the future. But this in itself would be a very dangerous gamble.
[Featured Image by Netflix]
