Netflix hit with $105 million lawsuit over stolen Cage film
Netflix faces a netflix 105 million lawsuit after a hard drive holding an unreleased Nicolas Cage World War II thriller was stolen from its Los Angeles office. Producer Simon Afram and Op-Fortitude filed the California federal case Thursday, alleging the theft put the $45 million film Fortitude's sale and awards plans at risk.
Key Takeaways
- Afram seeks at least $105 million, saying an unencrypted digital cinema package of Fortitude was stolen from Netflix desks last month.
- Netflix says it does not bear the risk of loss for a film delivered without industry-standard safeguards and is monitoring piracy sites.
- Executives disclosed the theft about 10 days after the June 15 hand delivery at Sunset Bronson Studios.
- Producers say sales, insurance, and awards plans are paused amid leak risk, though sources say no leak has surfaced yet.
The complaint, reported by Variety and other outlets, centers on Fortitude, a London-set espionage thriller directed by Simon West. Cage stars alongside Matthew Goode, Ben Kingsley, and others in the true-story war film.
For more market-moving stories on rights, risk, and big-ticket disputes, see our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
What happened to the Nicolas Cage film hard drive?
Netflix first showed interest after promotional materials arrived in December 2025 and later asked for a working cut. On June 15, an associate producer hand-delivered a DCP to Netflix's office at Sunset Bronson Studios.
According to the suit, Netflix asked that encryption keys stay open through end of day June 16 if the package was encrypted. The filmmakers say they told Netflix the copy was unencrypted and asked that files be deleted after screening, then notified for pickup.
When retrieval stalled, Netflix acknowledged via email that drives had been stolen from office desks. Sean Berney, Netflix's head of film acquisitions, wrote it was a first for the company and that security teams had had "no luck," while piracy teams were on high alert.
Why does the Netflix 105 million lawsuit matter?
Afram says he spent seven years and about $45 million bringing Fortitude to screen. The lawsuit argues any future sale is now jeopardized because buyers must learn an unencrypted copy vanished before release.
That disclosure, plaintiffs claim, can hurt acquisition talks, insurance, marketing, and an awards campaign. International release plans were paused despite distributor interest, the complaint says, and creators were denied a proper worldwide rollout.
Netflix replies that it does not own Fortitude rights, has investigated thoroughly, and offered to watch known piracy sites for unauthorized sale or distribution. Company sources have suggested thieves may have been after scrap value, and there is no reported sign of a leak so far.
How is Netflix responding to the theft claims?
A Netflix spokesperson said the streamer "disputes any claim that it bears the risk of loss for a film delivered without the proper industry-standard safeguards." Industry practice, sources say, usually means password-protected links or encrypted DCPs with key delivery messages.
The suit faults Netflix for not clarifying whether it filed a police report and for later declining to involve the LAPD after filmmakers filed their own. Netflix says it withheld investigation details after Afram's lawyers demanded $165 million for the film in what it called a hostile attempt to extract money rather than work in good faith.
Fortitude previously drew attention when Afram sued Martin Scorsese over a $500,000 development deal; that dispute settled. Afram said the film belongs to its cast and deserves to be seen.