Netflix is facing a $105 million lawsuit after losing a hard drive containing an unreleased copy of the World War II thriller 'Fortitude,' starring Nicolas Cage and Ben Kingsley. Producer Simon Afram, a Swiss businessman, filed the suit on Wednesday, alleging the drive was stolen from a Netflix office desk. The lawsuit claims the streaming giant failed to secure the film, which was delivered without encryption or industry-standard safeguards.
Afram spent seven years and $45 million developing 'Fortitude,' described as tonally similar to 'Ocean's 11' or 'Inglourious Basterds.' The film's script was written by Afram, and the production involved Cage and Kingsley. Netflix maintains it is not responsible for the loss, arguing the movie was delivered without proper protective measures.
The lawsuit seeks $105 million in damages, citing the loss of a valuable asset that could have generated significant revenue. The incident highlights the risks of handling unreleased content in digital formats. Neither Netflix nor the producers have commented further on the security lapse or the status of the film's copies.