Jet Li returns in "The Expendables 3," the final installment of  the action-filled series that is set to open in North America on August 15 and may also be possibly released simultaneously in mainland China.

However, three weeks ahead of the film's scheduled release, "The Expendables 3" has been leaked online and has reportedly been illegally downloaded more than 189,000 times in 24 hours.

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TorrentFreak revealed that a high quality version of the film has been downloaded through file distribution system BitTorrent.

Although it is not yet known where the leak started. One of the earliest copies circulating around, according to TorrentFreak, is from a user known only as Drarbg.

The user, according to reports, is a group that often uploads lots of video files online.

As of 6 o'clock this morning, 28 videos on file sharing site Pirate Bay has been uploaded by the user, including recent episodes of the "Big Brother," "The Colbert Report," and Fox's new show, "Gang Related."

According to BoxOffice.com, "The Expendables 3" has been tracking some US$25 million on the opening weekend. But the film piracy is definitely bad news for Lionsgate, the film distributor.

"The Expendables 2" debuted with slightly more at US$28.6 million in summer 2012, although the first movie didn't perform as strongly as the original in the US.

In 2010, "The Expendables" earned US$34.8 million on opening weekend, eventually garnering US$103.1 million in Domestic Box Office and US$274.5 million in Worldwide Box Office.

In 2012, "The Expendables 2" bagged US$28.6 million on opening weekend, hitting Domestic Box Office sales of US$85 million, and US$305.4 million worldwide.

A film of this magnitude rarely gets leaked online in full, and in high quality at that. The "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" may have been leaked before its release but that was an unfinished version.

Industry observers say in case of dismal earnings on the opening weekend, the online leak can work in Lionsgate's favor in that it can lay the blame on the leak rather than on the movie series' relatively poor performance at home compared to overseas.

Jet Li as Yin Yang returns with the main cast comprised of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Terry Crew, Randy Couture and Dolph Lundren. They are the elite team of mercenaries in "The Expendables 3."

The film also introduces new members Antonio Banderas, Kellan Lutz, Mel Gibson, Wesley Snipes, Harrison Ford, Ronda Rousey, and Kelsey Grammer.

"The Expendables 3" is about Ross, the leader of the Expendables, portrayed by Sylvester Stallone, confronting his former colleague and nemesis Conrad Stonebanks, portrayed by Mel Gibson, who is also a co-founder of the Expendables.

Since the original members of the Expendables are getting older, Ross has to recruit a new set of younger mercenaries in order to defeat Stonebanks and his team.

A series of Andy Warhol-inspired colorful posters were released for the promotion of the film at the San Diego Comic-Con International, which runs July 24 to 27 at the San Diego Convention Center. 

TagsThe Expendables 3, Jet Li, Comic-Con 2014, online leak, box office sales, full video, bit torrent