10 Most Pirated Movies of All Time

Avatar

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Twentieth Century Fox

The top pirated film of all time, according to a study released by TorrentFreak in October 2011, is James Cameron's 3D epic, Avatar. The film has been downloaded some 21 million times since its release in 2009. Cameron once touted 3D filmmaking as the entertainment industry's best hope for fighting piracy, but unfortunately, that doesn't seem to have helped his film escape its pirated fate. The film has raked in nearly $2.8 billion in wordwide theatrical gross nonetheless.

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The Dark Knight

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

The 2008 superhero film starring Christian Bale took second place in the most downloaded films of all time, with around 19 million downloads. The second installment in Christopher Nolan's Batman series was a major hit at the box office, and set the stage for the upcoming third film in the series, The Dark Knight Rises, due in theaters in July 2012, and sure to also be a very hot product in the pirated film circuit.

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Transformers

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures

Transformers was also illegally downloaded around 19 million times, according to the study. Michael Bay's first film based on the toy line starred Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky, a teenager involved in a war between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Megan Fox also starred in the movie, and her presence most likely bolstered the high illegal download count.

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Inception

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

Another Christopher Nolan film on the list, Inception raked in about 18 million illegal downloads since its release. The sci-fi action film had a strong cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard and Ellen Page and a mind-blowing storyline, making it one of the most-talked about (and highest grossing) films of the year.

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The Hangover

The Hangover, 2009's major comedy hit starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis not only led to a sequel but also to a ton of illegal downloading of the film. According to the study, Todd Phillips' film that featured tigers, Mike Tyson and a whole lot of gross-out moments, was illegally downloaded 17 million times.

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Star Trek

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures

The J.J. Abrams reboot was downloaded some 16 million times since its release in 2009. A sequel is currently in the works, and Paramount announced that it has plotted a course for the film to hit theaters on May 17, 2013.

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Kick-Ass

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Lionsgate

Matthew Vaughn's 2010 film based on a comic book of the same name was illegally downloaded 15 million times according to the study.

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The Departed

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

One of the older films on the top 10 list, 2006's The Departed rolls in with 14 million downloads. The Martin Scorsese-helmed movie has a star-heavy cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen.

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The Incredible Hulk

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Universal Studios

Edward Norton has been replaced as The Hulk in the upcoming superhero ensemble film, The Avengers, but plenty of people were watching Norton's take on Dr. Bruce Banner by illegally downloading The Incredible Hulk. The 2008 film has been downloaded around 14 million times since its release.

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Pirates of the Caribbean : At World’s End

Image Credit: Photo Credit: Disney

A pirated pirates movie! Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End, the third film in the Johnny Depp-starring series, was downloaded about 14 million times since its release in 2007.

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Avatar

The Dark Knight

Transformers

Inception

The Hangover

Star Trek

Kick-Ass

The Departed

The Incredible Hulk

Pirates of the Caribbean : At World’s End