Dune: Part Two, a highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 blockbuster sci-fi Dune, premiered in cinemas on March 1 and grossed $660 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Needless to say, the epic movie was also a hit in the warez community, making it to the list of most pirated movies in consecutive weeks following its theatrical release.
The movie is expected to appear on streaming services in just a couple of weeks. However, Torrent Freak reported that a high-quality copy of the film tagged “WEB-DL,” implying it is a lossless rip, is already available online through pirate channels.
These kinds of rips usually originate in streaming sources, although given the title is still not officially available, the origin of the latest high-quality leak is a bit of a mystery as of right now.
The illegal copies of the successful sequel contain a remark “In Memory of EVO,” a reference to the infamous Portuguese release group that leaked the original Dune back in 2021. EVO, short for EVOLUTiON, was mostly known for leaking so-called screeners, early copies of films sent to various industry professionals before the official release. At the time, EVO leaked the film adaptation of the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert before its theatrical release in the U.S.
However, EVO is no more. The group was dismantled in the fall of 2022 after a lengthy investigation that included several home searches in Portugal and the FBI-assisted takedown of EVO’s server in the United States.
In recent years, several high-profile platforms or sources have ceased operations, mostly as a consequence of official investigations. Some, however, decided to step down on their own. Worth mentioning is one of the most popular torrent websites of its time, RARBG, which quit last May citing various reasons, including Covid, the war in Europe, and inflation driving up the operation costs.
Image: Legendary Pictures, Warner Bros
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