Netflix has been sued for $105 million over the alleged loss of a master copy of Fortitude, an unreleased World War II film starring Nicolas Cage. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in California by Op-Fortitude Ltd. and producer Simon Afram, who claim the streaming giant mishandled a crucial copy of the movie after requesting it for a private screening.
According to court documents reviewed by Complex, the dispute centers on a Digital Cinema Package (DCP), the professional digital file used by studios and cinemas to screen films. The producers say Netflix requested an unencrypted version of the movie so company executives could evaluate it for a possible acquisition.
The filmmakers claim they personally delivered the drive containing the film to Netflix on June 15, 2026. Because the DCP was not encrypted, they say they made it clear, both verbally and in writing, that the file needed to be deleted immediately after the screening. According to the complaint, they specifically instructed Netflix, “The DCP is unencrypted, so please ensure that it is deleted after the screening.”
The lawsuit alleges that after the screening took place, the producers repeatedly contacted Netflix to have the drive returned. However, they claim the company delayed sending it back, raising concerns about the whereabouts of the film.
Those concerns reportedly intensified on June 25, when Netflix executive Sean Berney informed the filmmakers that several hard drives had been stolen from the company's offices.
In an email included in the lawsuit, Berney wrote, "Someone stole a good amount of drives from our office desks this past week."
He also told the producers that Netflix had "been working through this with [its] security teams to no luck," adding that its anti-piracy teams were "on high alert."
The producers argue that Netflix's response created further confusion. According to the complaint, the company suggested that the stolen drive would require a Key Delivery Message (KDM) to access the movie. The filmmakers dispute that claim, saying Netflix knew the copy was completely unencrypted and could therefore be viewed without additional security keys.
The lawsuit also points to Netflix's reported offer to create a replacement DCP as evidence that the original movie files may not have been deleted after the screening, despite the producers' instructions.
Fortitude is based on the true story of Operation Fortitude, the World War II deception campaign that helped mislead Nazi Germany before the Allied invasion of Normandy. The producers say the film took more than seven years to complete and cost over $45 million to produce.
According to the complaint, the project's commercial success depends heavily on its unreleased status. The producers argue that if the stolen copy is leaked online before distributors secure the rights, the film's market value could be significantly reduced, harming future sales and distribution opportunities.
As a result, the plaintiffs accuse Netflix of conversion, breach of bailment contract, and breach of implied contract. They are seeking at least $105 million in damages, additional punitive damages, and a jury trial.
Netflix has not publicly responded to the allegations or commented on the lawsuit. The case is expected to determine whether the streaming company can be held responsible for the disappearance of the unreleased film and any financial losses the producers claim resulted from the incident.
