A producer has filed a lawsuit against Netflix over the theft of an unreleased movie starring Nicolas Cage. The film, titled Fortitude, is a World War II drama that features Cage as a real-life spy who may have inspired the James Bond character. The movie was in development for several years and required a large investment from the producer.
It was shot on 35mm film to give it an authentic wartime feel. The lawsuit says that Netflix received a digital copy of the movie in June from the production team. That copy was not encrypted and was left unsecured at Netflix’s Hollywood studio location.
Nine days later, the producer was notified by Netflix that a hard drive containing the movie had been stolen. The stolen drive reportedly held the master version of the film. The lawsuit claims that the theft has significantly reduced the movie’s value in the marketplace.
Distributors are now less likely to purchase a film that could be leaked online. The producer is seeking $105 million in damages from Netflix. Netflix has denied any responsibility for the loss and said it took steps to investigate the incident.
The company also said it is monitoring piracy sites for unauthorized copies of the film. Netflix pointed out that it does not own the rights to Fortitude. The lawsuit also accuses Netflix of not cooperating with the investigation and not filing a police report.
The producer’s team has invested over $45 million into making the film. They argue that the movie’s value depended on it being exclusive and unreleased. The case raises questions about how streaming services protect sensitive content.
Netflix has stated that it has not seen any evidence of the film leaking online yet. The lawsuit names a British company called Op-Fortitude as the plaintiff. The company is run by a Swiss citizen named Simon Afram.
The film’s plot revolves around Operation FORTITUDE, a real-life deception campaign during WWII. It includes elements of fake military units and misinformation used to mislead the enemy. The movie also stars Ben Kingsley, Ron Perlman, Matthew Goode, and others.
The production team had been trying to sell the film to Netflix before it was stolen. Netflix said it did not own the rights to the movie and that it took steps to support the filmmaker. The company added that it is investigating the theft and watching piracy sites for any signs of the film being leaked.
It also said it has not seen any evidence that the movie was actually leaked yet. The case could set a precedent for how streaming services handle content security. The lawsuit is still being reviewed by the court and no final judgment has been made.
IMAGE: mikemacmarketing / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)