📼 Netflix Sued Over Theft of Unreleased Feature Film

The legal action stems from the theft of a physical hard drive containing the master print of the WWII historical thriller Fortitude from the platform’s Los Angeles office.

The plaintiffs claim that the leak of the unencrypted master file severely compromised the film’s commercial sales, derailed distribution negotiations, and inflicted damages estimated at no less than $105 million.

The incident occurred in mid-June after producers delivered a hard drive containing an unencrypted Digital Cinema Package (DCP) to Netflix headquarters for internal evaluation ahead of potential rights acquisition. Ten days later, Netflix Head of Film Acquisitions Sean Berney informed the filmmakers that the drive had been stolen from the office alongside other storage media. The production team accuses the streamer of negligence and failing to report the theft to the LAPD, while Netflix representatives dismissed the lawsuit as an extortion attempt, maintaining that the company cannot assume liability for materials delivered without standard industry encryption safeguards.

Directed by Simon West and starring Nicolas Cage, Matthew Goode, and Ed Skrein, the feature centers on a British intelligence operation aimed at deceiving Nazi high command during World War II. Facing potential online piracy leaks and challenges securing insurance coverage, the producers were forced to freeze negotiations with other international distributors, effectively stalling the project’s planned marketing rollout and awards strategy.