Netflix is defendants in a $105 million lawsuit filed by the producers of an unreleased World War II espionage film called Fortitude, which stars Nicolas Cage. The action stems from the theft of hard drives from Netflix’s Los Angeles office, with one drive containing a digital copy of the unreleased feature.
The streaming platform received a copy of the film in June following earlier expressions of interest in promotional materials. Filmmakers provided Netflix with a digital version for internal screening purposes, with instructions to delete the files afterward. Netflix film acquisitions head Sean Berney noted in an email that such a theft was unprecedented for the company and that security and piracy teams were mobilizing in response.
The lawsuit accuses Netflix of inadequate security practices and mishandling of the situation. Plaintiffs claim the company failed to disclose whether a police report was initially filed and later declined filmmaker requests to involve the Los Angeles Police Department, despite the producers filing their own report. Netflix representatives stated the company does not own the rights to the film and emphasized its commitment to content security, noting it conducted an investigation and offered to monitor piracy sites for unauthorized distribution.
Filmmakers assert the breach has severely compromised the film’s commercial prospects and awards potential. The lawsuit states that international release plans and an awards campaign have been paused as a result of the theft. The $45 million-budgeted production is set in London and focuses on British intelligence operations during the second world war. The film is directed by Simon West and features an ensemble cast including Matthew Goode, Michael Sheen, and Ben Kingsley.
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