Orange is the New Black season 5 episode 1 leaks online as Netflix is held to ransom

A hacking group by the name of TheDarkOverlord has leaked the first episode of the Netflix show Orange is the New Black [Update: the group has since leaked 9 more episodes]. The season premiere of the hit show is not set to air until June, but TheDarkOverlord released it to The Pirate Bay after Netflix failed to meet ransom demands.

The group allegedly managed to get hold of the episode after gaining access to the systems of post-production studio Larson Studios in Hollywood. When Netflix refused to comply with its demands, which are described as "modest", the show was made available for BitTorrent users.

Torrent Freak says that it has information suggesting that Larson Studios suffered a security breach back in 2016, and there are screenshots indicating that the studio was indeed working on Orange is the New Black at the time. TheDarkOverlord said: "After we had a copy of their data safely in our possession, we asked that we be paid a small fee in exchange for non-disclosure. We approached them on the Eve of their Christmas."

The group also claims to have obtained copies of other major series, and even major movies -- and this ties in with rumors that have been circulating online for a little while now. Speaking with Torrent Freak, TheDarkOverlord says that the leak represents "the tip of the iceberg" -- something that will have Netflix worried (and movie studios) as it could hit the company hard in the pocket.