Thanks to the Digital Dorm, we have the list of the top ten illegally downloaded movies of 2011. Take a glance at the titles. Are you surprised? Is something shockingly omitted?
The list includes the title of the film, the number of downloads, and the worldwide box office gross.
1. Fast Five – 9,260,000 Illegal Downloads $626,137,675
2. The Hangover II – 8,840,000 Illegal Downloads $581,464,305
3. Thor – 8,330,000 Illegal Downloads $449,326,618
4. Source Code – 7,910,000 Illegal Downloads $123,278,618
5. I Am Number Four – 7,670,000 Illegal Downloads $144,500,437
6. Sucker Punch – 7,200,000 Illegal Downloads $89,792,502
7. 127 Hours – 6,910,000 Illegal Downloads $60,738,797
8. Rango – 6,480,000 Illegal Downloads $245,155,348
9. The King’s Speech – 6,250,000 Illegal Downloads $414,211,549
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 – 6,030,000 Illegal Downloads $1,328,111,219
Interesting to note are the movies not on the list: Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1. These were some of the highest grossing films of the year, so do we assume that everyone who saw them did it the legal way?
And Roger Ebert discusses his theories on why movie revenue is dropping but fails to mention illegal downloads. But isn’t it all tied in together? If you choose not to go to the theater to see a movie for any of the reasons he mentioned (noisy patrons, high ticket prices, expensive refreshments, etc.), then you simply choose another method in which to view the latest release.
I am in no way advocating illegal downloads, but I think it’s a good idea for the movie industry to look at why it’s so prevalent. I actually love going to the theater and watching the trailers while the smell of popcorn permeates the air, but I’ve also had such experiences ruined by unruly film-goers and chatty seat companions.
And should a box of Junior Mints really cost $4.00? I think that’s the real crime!