A new group of hackers is targeting high-profile celebrities in an attempt to "make Hollywood sweat".
Hollywood Leaks has been dubbed "WikiLeaks to the stars" and has already published film scripts for the new Footloose remake and the Tom Cruise film Rock of Ages.
They have also put Miley Cyrus and Gerard Butler's email addresses on the internet and have been linked to the publication of nude photos of Scarlett Johansson.
Hollywood expert, Ashley Pearson, says: "Hollywood is very worried.
"The world's interest in celebrities has never been greater. So it is understandable that hackers are digging into the back story, behind the scenes of what is going on in their lives."
Hollywood Leaks recently hit the headlines when Scarlett Johansson called in the FBI to investigate after her phone was hacked and her naked pictures published on the internet.
Her lawyer threatened to sue anyone who published them and they were quickly taken down.
She said this week: "Who doesn't want to protect their own privacy? Just because you are an actor or make films or whatever does not mean you are not entitled to your own personal privacy.
"If that is besieged in some way, it feels unjust. It feels wrong."
But on its Twitter page, Hollywood Leaks denies any involvement, saying if they had done it they would claim credit.
They published a video on youtube last month stating their intentions.
The stars Sky News interviewed seemed relatively sanguine about the threat to their privacy.
Actor Hugh Jackman said: "I do not think it is great, but it does not keep me up at night.
"Socrates, a guy who lived about two thousand years ago, and a hero of mine said never say anything in private you wouldn't want said in public. That is probably pretty good advice, right?"
Gillian Anderson said she was not worried about it and anyway her phone was full of pictures of her children, not her naked self.
She told Sky News: "For some reason I just assume it is not going to affect me. I don't send naked pictures of myself - not that that's what Scarlett Johansson did, but I just have pictures of my children on my phone."
Rowan Atkinson was more concerned about the threat posed by technology to privacy.
"It is very curious how intrusive technology is to a lot of people...it is genuinely worrying."
Singer and actor Harry Connick Junior said that it was part and parcel of celebrity life.
He said: "When you decide you are going to make a career in the public eye you have to expect the rules to change. It sucks some times.
"You have to choose wisely when make decisions."
Often hacking has a freedom of information agenda or a political slant, but Hollywood Leaks appears different, and journalists following the story in the States say it is purely mischief-making.
Fruzsina Eordogh, a writer with the dailydot.com , has been in touch with the hackers to find out what motivates them.
She said: "When I spoke to them they seemed to be doing it for fun.
"Lots of them I spoke to hinted that they had done higher profile hacks - but they did not publicise them for fear of retribution.
"With Hollywood Leaks it feels how fun is a hack if not shared? They are doing it to make people laugh."
Hollywood Leaks is thought to be an off-shoot of the Anonymous group - that has hacked Sony and Bank of America.
The FBI is now involved and - in an interesting twist - are headhunting good hackers to catch the bad ones.
via source
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