Netflix sued for $105 million after unreleased Nicolas Cage movie 'Fortitude' is allegedly stolen from its office

Netflix is facing a lawsuit seeking at least $105 million after an unreleased Nicolas Cage film was allegedly stolen from its Hollywood offices, with the producers claiming the incident has severely damaged the movie's commercial value.

According to reports, the lawsuit was filed by producer Simon Afram and his company Op-Fortitude. The lawsuit alleges that an unencrypted digital copy of the World War II thriller 'Fortitude' disappeared while it was in Netflix's custody. The producers claim the streaming giant failed to protect the film and delayed informing them that the hard drive had been stolen. Netflix, however, has denied responsibility and accused the filmmakers of trying to extort money.

Why is Netflix being sued?

According to the complaint, Netflix was considering acquiring the worldwide rights to Fortitude and requested a private screening on June 16. An associate producer delivered a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) containing the film to Netflix a day earlier.


The producers say they instructed Netflix both verbally and in writing to delete any copied files after the screening and promptly return the hard drive. Instead, Netflix allegedly postponed its return for more than a week before revealing that the drive had been stolen from its offices.

The lawsuit argues that the theft destroyed the film's exclusivity, making it harder to sell distribution rights because potential buyers now have to consider the risk of an online leak.

Afram, who reportedly invested $45 million into the project, is seeking damages of at least 2.5 times the production budget, amounting to more than $112 million, along with punitive damages. The complaint alleges Netflix breached an implied agreement by failing to safeguard the film and return the drive promptly.

Netflix denies wrongdoing

Netflix has rejected the allegations, arguing that the production company delivered the film without industry-standard encryption, making it accessible if the drive fell into the wrong hands.

The company said it takes content security seriously, conducted an internal investigation, and offered to monitor piracy websites for any unauthorized release of the film. Netflix also claimed there is no evidence the movie has leaked and alleged the filmmakers previously demanded $165 million, which it described as an attempt to pressure the company into a settlement.

What is 'Fortitude' about?

Directed by Simon West, Fortitude stars Nicolas Cage as World War II spy Duško Popov, whose exploits are said to have inspired Ian Fleming's James Bond character. The film also features Sir Ben Kingsley and tells the story of Operation Fortitude, the Allied deception campaign that helped pave the way for the D-Day invasion.