Actors Lea Seydoux, Daniel Craig and Monica Bellucci pose on stage during an event to mark the start of production for the new James Bond film "Spectre"
Actors Lea Seydoux, Daniel Craig and Monica Bellucci pose on stage during an event to mark the start of production for the new James Bond film "Spectre", at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, southern England December 4, 2014. Reuters/Stefan Wermuth

Producers have confirmed that hackers leaked the script of much talked-about new James Bond film "Spectre." At the same time, producers warned that publishing the copyrighted material would result in lawsuit.

Eon Productions, in an official statement on its official Web site, confirmed the 007 script having been leaked. The Guardian quoted the official statement confirming that the screenplay was the "confidential information of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Danjaq LLC." The screenplay is a copyrighted material protected in the UK and worldwide. Eon, MGM Studios and Danjaq will "take necessary steps" to protect the rights against those who may reproduce, disseminate or otherwise utilise the screenplay. As the confidential property is known to be stolen, anyone who makes infringing uses of the screenplay will have to face legal actions, it claims.

The Guardians of Peace, as the hackers call themselves, hacked Sony computer systems in November and leaked several private documents. The statement says that the producers have learned that the "early version of the screenplay" is one of the materials which were stolen during the hack. The "Spectre" script has also released to the public by the hackers, it says. The producers expressed its concerns that third parties which had received the draft might want to publish the script or its contents.

It has been speculated that North Korea masterminded the cyber-attack in retaliation for Sony's upcoming comedy film "The Interview" which shows an assassination attempt on Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader. Even though North Korea condemned the film, it denied that it had anything to do with the cyber-attack. The cyber-attack has been embarrassing for the Hollywood giant as several confidential documents were leaked. Private emails between Sony Pictures Entertainment co-Chairman Amy Pascal and Academy Award winning producer Scott Rudin were leaked. Rudin called Angelina Jolie as "spoiled brat" in one of the emails. He also made racial comments against U.S. President Barack Obama regarding his presumed love for movie with Afro-American protagonists. Huffington Post reported that both Pascal and Rudin had apologised.

Daniel Craig is going to star in the next Bond flick "Spectre" which is such a highly anticipated movie that it required a media event to announce the title of the movie.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au