Netflix faces $105M lawsuit over missing Nicolas Cage film

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the disappearance of 'Fortitude', an unreleased $45 million World War II thriller starring Nicolas Cage. The film, directed by Simon West, allegedly vanished from Netflix’s Hollywood headquarters between June 16 and June 25.

Producer and financier Simon Afram has filed a lawsuit against Netflix seeking at least $105 million in damages. Afram alleges that an unencrypted master copy of the film was stolen from an office desk and claims Netflix has been negligent in its handling of the material. The lawsuit also includes a defamation claim after Netflix characterized the producer's demands as ‘extortionist.’

Netflix has disputed the claims, stating it does not bear the risk of loss for films delivered without ‘industry-standard safeguards.’ While the company acknowledged a theft of several hard drives occurred at its Los Angeles offices, it has denied responsibility for the loss of the specific film. The LAPD investigation is currently ongoing to determine the circumstances of the disappearance and whether any evidence was mishandled.