Wolverine released

[svo347]

Well it seems someones backside is going to be kicked....

Hugh Jackman's upcoming blockbuster Wolverine has been leaked online weeks before its Australian release.

An incomplete version of the superhero flick is being widely circulated on the internet, with tens of thousands of web surfers scrambling to download the file.

"Last night, a stolen, incomplete and early version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was posted illegally on websites," the film's studio 20th Century Fox said in a statement.

"We immediately contacted the appropriate legal authorities and had it removed." On one popular file-sharing site, more than 47,000 users are currently downloading the film.

The 1hr 45min feature is missing substantial special effects and music from the finished product, which is due for release on Australian screens on April 30 and boasts a budget believed to be about $150 million.

20th Century Fox has vowed to legally pursue the online pirates.

"The source of the initial leak and any subsequent postings will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law - the courts have handed down significant criminal sentences for such acts and the last person who committed such a crime is in jail," their statement said.

"The FBI and Motion Picture Association of America are also actively investigating the crime."

Jackman has played the superhero mutant character Wolverine in three previous X-Men films, which have grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide at the box office