Viral ‘Spider-Man’ bus image turns out to be fake

Fake viral image highlights how normalized movie piracy has become as unauthorized films continue to circulate in the Philippines.

A viral image supposedly showing “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” playing on a Philippine bus has turned out to be fake—but its believability points to a very real problem: how normalized film piracy has become.

The image was shared by the Facebook page “I’m just fine again today,” which joked: “‘SPIDERMAN: BRAND NEW DAY’ Now showing in selected bus nationwide.”

The page describes itself as a place for “just memes and sometimes post that make sense,” adding that “some photos are mine.”

The original image came from a 2024 post in the Reddit community “r/FilmClubPH” titled “What’s the weirdest movie you’ve watched on a bus?” The same image was also used by the Facebook page in a 2025 meme about “Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle.”

While the “Spider-Man” bus scene did not happen, the premise was believable enough because pirated films have long circulated in the Philippines, both online and in public spaces.

Full or partial recordings of newly released movies have also been repeatedly shared online, underscoring how quickly unauthorized copies can spread beyond cinemas.

A YouGov survey previously cited by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and the Film Development Council found that 49% of Filipino respondents had accessed piracy streaming or torrent sites in the 12 months preceding October 2020.

Piracy can mean jail time

Under Republic Act No. 10088, or the Anti-Camcording Act, unauthorized recording of movies inside cinemas can carry imprisonment of six months and one day to six years and one day and fines of ₱50,000 to ₱750,000.

Copyright infringement is also punishable under Republic Act No. 8293, with penalties that increase for repeat offenders.

The bus never actually screened “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” But when a fake image of a newly released movie playing on a bus feels entirely believable, it says something about how normal piracy has become for Filipinos.

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