Singapore Man Arrested Over Avatar: The Legend of Aang Leak

A 26-year-old man was arrested by Singapore’s Criminal Investigation Department after allegedly gaining unauthorized access to a media-content server and distributing clips from an unreleased Avatar: The Last Airbender movie, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. Police said they received a report on April 16 that extracts from the film were circulating on social media, and investigators detained the suspect within 24 hours. Officers also seized several electronic devices and recovered a copy of the movie from his belongings.

The suspect faces charges of unauthorized access to computer material. If convicted, he could be sentenced to as long as seven years in prison, fined up to S$50,000 (about $40,000 USD), or both. Police warned that unauthorized access to computer systems is taken very seriously and will be pursued firmly under the law.

The arrest comes after The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender leaked online on April 12, ahead of its planned October 2026 release on Paramount+. Clips quickly spread across social platforms, including 4Chan and Elon Musk’s X. An initial claim suggested Nickelodeon had mistakenly emailed the movie, but later reports pointed to another account that allegedly leaked the full film.

The leak drew backlash from artists who worked on the project. animator Julia Schoel said the crew had spent years waiting to celebrate the film with fans, only to see it circulate before its official release. Background artist Anna Gong urged supporters to back the official launch, describing the movie’s quality as a result of the passion poured into creating “a truly special moment for ATLA.”