A film producer has filed a $105 million lawsuit against Netflix, alleging that an unreleased Nicolas Cage movie was stolen from the streaming company’s Hollywood studios after being delivered for evaluation.
The lawsuit, filed in California on Wednesday, claims producer Simon Afram provided Netflix with an unencrypted master copy of the World War II drama Fortitude in June at the company’s request while seeking a distribution deal.
According to the complaint, Netflix informed the filmmakers nine days later that several hard drives had been stolen from its offices, including the drive containing the only master copy of the film.
Afram, who says he invested more than $45 million and spent seven years producing the movie, argues that the theft has effectively destroyed its commercial value because distributors may be unwilling to acquire a film that could surface on piracy websites.
The lawsuit alleges Netflix failed to adequately safeguard the hard drive and seeks at least $105 million in damages.
In response, Netflix said it disputes liability, maintaining that it does not bear responsibility for the loss of a film delivered without industry-standard security protections.