Online piracy group Hive-CM8 issued an apology to director Quentin Tarantino on Wednesday for uploading his movie The Hateful Eight on the Internet a few days before it released. While the movie debuted in cinemas in the United States on Christmas Day, Hive-CM8 had put it up on the Internet on December 21.

In a statement posted on Reddit, the group said it never intended to hurt anyone and didn’t know the movie would get so popular so soon. The group claimed it got the DVD “from a guy on the street” and that they were not the only ones who had illegally obtained and posted the film online.

It also said the controversy might have pushed ticket sales for the movie, adding that the movie is “excellent, thrilling and entertaining” and a “top candidate for the awards”.