The Hateful Eight downloaded more than 300,000 times after being leaked online ahead of Christmas release

Joy and The Revenant were also leaked ahead of their official release dates

(EW)

Quentin Tarantino and a host of other film directors have had their Christmases spoiled after a number of their films were leaked online just ahead of their openings on Christmas Day.

Tarantino's The Hateful Eight and Alejandro González Iñárritu's The Revenant, which were both due for release on Christmas Day, were leaked online and available for download as early as 20 December.

As The Verge notes, the leaked versions are surprisingly high quality and had 'DVDScr' in their titles - suggesting they were DVD screeners, which are issued to reviewers and awards panels ahead of a film's actual release.

Other blockbuster titles released just before Christmas include Creed, Legend, Joy, Steve Jobs, The Danish Girl and Bridge of Spies.

The leaked versions appear to be released by CM8, a 'scene group', or a secretive group of people who source and upload leaked copies of films as a hobby (and for bragging rights).

DVD screeners typically have watermarks overlaid on the film, in order to allow studios to trace back the leak to the person the disc was sent to.

As the Hollywood Reporter claimed, the Hateful Eight leak was allegedly traced to Andrew Kosove, the co-CEO of Alcon Entertainment. Speaking to the Reporter, Kosove said he had no knowledge of being sent the DVD, and was reportedly co-operating fully with the FBI inquiry into the leaks.

TorrentFreak reports that The Hateful Eight has already been downloaded 300,000 times - possibly representing 300,000 fewer cinema ticket sales, which is bound to impact the film's profits