Sony Pictures Entertainment has approached the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate the illegal release on piracy web sites of several of its films, including its upcoming Christmas movie, Annie.

The appearance of the pirated movies coincided with a hack of Sony’s movie studio last week, but it is unclear whether the two are related. The FBI is examining the illegal release of Annie, Fury, a second world war drama starring Brad Pitt, and Mr Turner, featuring Timothy Spall, said a person familiar with the investigation.

Hackers from a group called Guardians of Peace last week paralysed Sony Pictures’ internal computer network, accessing confidential emails and other data and threatening to release it. The hackers also posted pictures online of Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal, Sony’s top entertainment executives, and left threatening messages. Sony Pictures declined to comment on the hack.