Netflix Sued for $105M After Nicolas Cage Movie Master Copy Stolen from Office Desk

A Swiss billionaire is taking Netflix to court after the only master copy of his unreleased Nicolas Cage thriller was stolen from the streaming giant’s office. Simon Afram personally financed the $45 million film Fortitude, starring Cage alongside Ben Kingsley and Ron Perlman. The unencrypted hard drive was hand-delivered to Netflix on June 15 and disappeared from a desk within nine days. The lawsuit claims Netflix knew about the theft for a full week before informing the filmmakers. Their solution? An offer of roughly $800 for the missing drive.

Afram is now seeking $105 million in damages, based on the film’s estimated break-even revenue of $112.5 million. The plot of Fortitude is inspired by a real-life WWII spy who served as an inspiration for James Bond, which adds an ironic layer to this real-life espionage drama. Netflix has denied liability, arguing the film was delivered without proper security safeguards and accusing Afram’s team of attempting to extort $165 million before filing the lawsuit. The case pits a billionaire against a streaming giant over a missing movie that may or may not ever surface.

The big question now is whether the stolen master copy could eventually leak online. With no encryption and a valuable piece of cinema in the wind, the risk is real. Do you think Netflix was careless, or should the producer have taken more precautions? Let us know in the comments.