Nearly all of the most pirated movies of 2021 were available online in some form.
It shows the risks for studios when releasing a movie on streaming services and in theaters simultaneously.
Theater owners criticized the strategy, arguing it increases piracy and eats at a movie's box office.
During the pandemic, Hollywood studios have released some of their biggest movies simultaneously to theaters and streaming services. Theater owners generally hate it and escalated their criticism of the strategy after the release of "Black Widow" in July, which Disney debuted in theaters and on Disney+ for an additional $30 fee on the same day.
A major part of their argument is that it leads to more piracy, which can hurt a movie's box office.
"When a movie is released simultaneously to a streaming service, a pristine copy of that movie is made available day one that it's in cinemas," John Fithian, the CEO of the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), told Insider.
An analysis of piracy news website TorrentFreak's weekly lists of most pirated movies of 2021 showed the risks of the simultaneous release strategy. While some of the movies that topped the lists were successful at the box office given the circumstances of the pandemic, theater owners would argue that they lost money from piracy.
Nearly all of the movies that topped the lists each week were online in some form, either on streaming services or available to rent on premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platforms after their theatrical runs.
Warner Bros. releases made up the majority of movies that topped the weekly lists, as the studio released all of its 2021 films simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. It has announced that it will release movies exclusively to theaters in 2022, but with a shortened, 45-day window before they become available to stream.
Of the 52 weeks that TorrentFreak tracked the most pirated movies for in 2021, a movie that was streaming on HBO Max topped 19 of them.
Here's how that broke down by platform:
HBO Max — 19 weeks
PVOD — 16
Disney+ — 7
Paramount+ — 2
Amazon Prime Video — 1
Netflix — 1
Apple TV+ — 1
In theaters — 5
Simultaneous releases will still happen in 2022, just perhaps less frequently. Universal is releasing its romantic comedy "Marry Me" in theaters and on Peacock in February, for instance.
Most of the movies that appeared most frequently on the piracy lists (the ones that topped the lists more than two weeks in a row) were released simultaneously to theaters and on streaming services:
"Mortal Kombat" — Four weeks in a row; was released in theaters and on HBO Max
"Godzilla vs. Kong" — Three weeks in a row; was released in theaters and on HBO Max
"Black Widow" — Three weeks in a row; was released in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access (additional $30 fee required for subscribers to watch)
"Free Guy" — three weeks in a row, two of which it was available on digital platforms
"Venom: Let There Be Carnage" — three weeks in a row after becoming available on digital platforms
Below is each movie that topped TorrentFreak's weekly list of most pirated movies last year, along with the weeks they were No. 1 and how they performed at the box office (if they weren't exclusively streaming). The dates noted for each movie are the days that TorrentFreak updated its rankings, and it reflects the previous seven days.
This story has been updated with new data.
"Wonder Woman 1984" (Warner Bros.) — January 4 and January 11
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in "Wonder Woman 1984." Clay Enos/DC Comics/Warner Bros.
Was it online at the time? Streaming on HBO Max (and in theaters)
US release date: December 25, 2020
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $16.7 million
Total domestic box office: $46.5 million
Total global box office: $166.5 million
"News of the World" (Universal) — January 18 and January 25
Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel star in Paul Greengrass' "News of the World." Universal Pictures/Netflix
Was it online at the time? Available on premium video-on-demand platforms starting January 15
US release date: December 25, 2020
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $2.25 million
Total domestic box office: $12.7 million
Total global box office: $12.7 million (distributed by Netflix internationally in February)
"The Little Things" (Warner Bros.) —February 1 and February 15
Jared Leto in "The Little Things." Nicola Goode/Warner Bros.
Was it online at the time? Streaming on HBO Max (and in theaters)
US release date: January 29, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $4.7 million
Total domestic box office: $15.2 million
Total global box office: $29.8 million
"Bliss" (Amazon Studios) — February 8
Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek in "Bliss." Prime Video
Was it online at the time? Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
US release date: February 5, 2021
"Monster Hunter" (Sony) — February 22 and March 1
Sony
Was it online at the time? Available on premium video-on-demand platforms starting February 16
US release date: December 18, 2020
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $2.2 million
Total domestic box office: $15.2 million
Total global box office: $42.1 million
"Raya and the Last Dragon" (Disney) — March 8 and March 15
Walt Disney Animation
Was it online at the time? Streaming on Disney+ Premier Access (and in theaters)
US release date: March 5, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $8.5 million
Total domestic box office: $54.7 million
Total global box office: $122.7 million
"Zack Snyder's Justice League" (HBO Max) — March 22 and March 29
HBO Max
Was it online at the time? Streaming on HBO Max
Release date: March 18, 2021
"Godzilla vs. Kong" (Warner Bros.) — April 5, April 12, and April 19
"Godzilla vs. Kong" Warner Bros.
Was it online at the time? Streaming on HBO Max (and in theaters)
US release date: March 31, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $31.6 million
Total domestic box office: $100.5 million
Total global box office: $467.9 million
"Mortal Kombat" (Warner Bros.) — April 26, May 3, May 10, and May 17
Warner Bros.
Was it online at the time? Streaming on HBO Max (and in theaters)
US release date: April 23, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $23.3 million
Total domestic box office: $42.2 million
Total global box office: $83.6 million
"Army of the Dead" (Netflix) — May 24
Dave Bautista in "Army of the Dead." Netflix
Was it online at the time? Streaming on Netflix
Release date: May 21, 2021
"Wrath of Man" (MGM) — May 31
MGM
Was it online at the time? Available on premium video-on-demand platforms starting May 25
US release date: May 7, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $8.3 million
Total domestic box office: $27.5 million
Total global box office: $104 million
"The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It" (Warner Bros.) — June 7
Warner Bros.
Was it online at the time? Streaming on HBO Max (and in theaters)
US release date: June 4, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $24.1 million
Total domestic box office: $65.6 million
Total global box office: $202 million
"Infinite" (Paramount) — June 14 and June 21
Mark Wahlberg in "Infinite." Paramount
Was it online at the time? Streaming on Paramount+
Release date: June 10
"Luca" (Disney) — June 28
Pixar
Was it online at the time? Streaming on Disney+ at no additional cost
Release date: June 18, 2021
"A Quiet Place Part II" (Paramount) — July 5
"A Quiet Place Part II" Paramount
Was it online at the time? No, only in theaters (came to Paramount+ and PVOD platforms on July 13)
US release date: May 28, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $47.5 million
Total domestic box office: $160 million
Total global box office: $297.3 million
"Black Widow" (Disney) — July 12, July 19, and July 26
Florence Pugh and Scarlett Johansson in "Black Widow." Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Was it online at the time? Streaming on Disney+ Premier Access (and in theaters)
US release date: July 9, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $80.3 million
Total domestic box office: $183.6 million
Total global box office: $379.6 million
"F9: The Fast Saga" (Universal) — August 2
Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel in "F9." Universal
Was it online at the time? Available on premium video-on-demand platforms starting July 30
US release date: June 25, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $70 million
Total domestic box office: $173 million
Total global box office: $721 million
"The Suicide Squad" (Warner Bros.) — August 9 and August 16
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn in "The Suicide Squad" Warner Bros.
Was it online at the time? Streaming on HBO Max (and in theaters)
US release date: August 6, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $26.2 million
Total domestic box office: $55.8 million
Total global box office: $167.4 million
"Snake Eyes" (Paramount) — August 23 and August 30
Henry Golding in "Snake Eyes." Paramount
Was it online at the time? Available on premium video-on-demand platforms starting August 17
US release date: July 23, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $13.3 million
Total domestic box office: $28.3 million
Total global box office: $40 million
"Don't Breathe 2" (Sony) — September 6
Sony
Was it online at the time? Available on premium video-on-demand platforms starting September 3
US release date: August 13, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $10.6 million
Total domestic box office: $32.6 million
Total global box office: $47.2 million
"Escape Room: Tournament of Champions" (Sony) — September 13
Sony
Was it online at the time? No, came to digital platforms September 21
US release date: July 16, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $8.8 million
Total domestic box office: $25.2 million
Total global box office: $51.8 million
"Candyman" (Universal) — September 20
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in "Candyman." Universal Pictures
Was it online at the time? No, came to digital platforms on November 2
US release date: August 27, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $22 million
Total domestic box office: $61.2 million
Total global box office: $77.4 million
"Free Guy" (Disney) — September 27, October 4, and October 11
Ryan Reynolds in "Free Guy." 20th Century Studios
Was it online at the time? Came to digital platforms on September 28
US release date: August 13, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $28.4 million
Total domestic box office: $121.6 million
Total global box office: $331.5 million
"Copshop" (Open Road Films) — October 18
Briarcliff Entertainment
Was it online at the time? Available on digital platforms
US release date: September 17, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $2.3 million
Total domestic box office: $5.2 million
Total global box office: $6.6 million
"Dune" (Warner Bros.) — October 25 and November 1
"Dune." Warner Bros.
Was it online at the time? Available on HBO Max (and in theaters)
US release date: October 22, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $41 million
Total domestic box office: $107 million
Total global box office: $394 million
"Finch" (Apple TV+) — November 8
Apple
Was it online at the time? Available on Apple TV+
US release date: November 5, 2021
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" — November 15
"Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Marvel Studios
Was it online at the time? Available on Disney+ starting November 12
US release date: September 3, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $75 million
Total domestic box office: $224.5 million
Total global box office: $432 million
"No Time to Die" — November 22
MGM
Was it online at the time? Available on digital platforms starting November 9
US release date: October 8, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $55 million
Total domestic box office: $160 million
Total global box office: $774 million
"Venom: Let There Be Carnage" — November 29, December 6, and December 13
Tom Hardy in "Venom: Let There Be Carnage." Sony
Was it online at the time? Available on digital platforms starting November 23
US release date: October 1, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $90 million
Total domestic box office: $212.5 million
Total global box office: $501 million
"Spider-Man: No Way Home" — December 20
Tom Holland in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Matt Kennedy/Sony Pictures/Marvel
Was it online at the time? No, only in theaters
US release date: December 17, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $260 million
Total domestic box office (as of January 3): $610 million
Total global box office (as of January 3): $1.37 billion
"The Matrix Resurrections" — December 27
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in "The Matrix Resurrections." Warner Bros.
Was it online at the time? Available on HBO Max (and in theaters)
US release date: December 22, 2021
Opening weekend box office (domestic): $12 million
Total domestic box office (as of January 3): $31 million
Total global box office (as of January 3): $106 million