Producer sues Netflix for $105m over alleged theft of unreleased Nicolas Cage film

A film producer has filed a $105 million lawsuit against Netflix, alleging that the streaming giant failed to protect the master copy of an unreleased Nicolas Cage war drama that was stolen from its Hollywood production facility.

According to a complaint filed in a California court on Wednesday, producer Simon Afram claims an unencrypted master copy of “Fortitude”, a World War II drama starring Nicolas Cage, was delivered to Netflix in June at the company’s request while negotiations were under way to secure a distribution deal.

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The lawsuit alleges that Afram invested more than $45 million in the film, which took seven years to complete. Nine days after the master copy was delivered, Netflix allegedly informed the filmmakers by email that several hard drives had been stolen from its offices, including the drive containing “Fortitude”.

Afram argues that the theft has severely undermined the film’s commercial value, contending that distributors are unlikely to acquire a title that could surface on piracy websites before its official release. The complaint alleges Netflix failed to provide adequate security for the drive and is seeking at least $105 million in damages.

“It is not fathomable that a sophisticated buyer would invest tens of millions of dollars to acquire the film — and tens of millions more to market it — while facing the constant risk that it could appear online to be viewed widely for free at any time,” the lawsuit states.

Netflix has rejected the allegations, saying it disputes any claim that it bears responsibility for the loss of a film delivered without what it described as “proper industry-standard safeguards.”

In a statement, the company said it had nonetheless taken the incident seriously, launching an internal investigation and monitoring piracy platforms for any unauthorised distribution of “Fortitude”.

Netflix also said it had declined to share details of its investigation with Afram’s legal team, accusing the producer’s lawyers of attempting to pressure the company financially instead of cooperating in good faith.

The case is pending before a California court.