Netflix faces $105 million lawsuit over stolen master copy of Nicolas Cage film

A U.S. federal lawsuit filed in California by screenwriter and producer Simon Afram and his company Op‑Fortitude accuses Netflix of negligence after an unencrypted hard drive containing the master digital cinema package of the unreleased World War II spy thriller “Fortitude” was stolen from Netflix’s Los Angeles offices. The suit seeks at least $105 million in damages, arguing that the theft jeopardizes the film’s commercial value and could deter distributors.

“Fortitude,” starring Nicolas Cage and Ben Kingsley and based on the real double‑agent Dusko Popov, cost roughly $45 million to produce over seven years. The plaintiffs contend that Netflix failed to delete or securely store the copy after review, while Netflix maintains the filmmakers supplied an unencrypted copy and that the company promptly involved internal security teams and monitored piracy sites. The case remains pending, and the film has yet to secure a distributor.