Netflix Denies Blame in Nicolas Cage Movie Theft

Netflix is facing a $105 million lawsuit after a hard drive holding an unreleased Nicholas Cage movie was stolen from its office, according to a complaint filed Thursday in California federal court. The suit was filed by writer-producer Simon Afram and his company, Op-Fortitude. They claim Netflix hurt the sale of the World War II spy thriller Fortitude after it lost a copy that had been sent over for screening, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Netflix first showed interest in the project after getting promo materials in December 2025, the complaint says. By June, the company asked for a working cut and requested the key to a digital cinema package, or DCP, which is used to deliver films for screening and helps block unauthorized access. On June 15, a producer for Fortitude hand-delivered the drive to Netflix’s office at Sunset Bronson Studios. The producer allegedly told Netflix the DCP was unencrypted and said the files should be deleted after the screening, then the drive should be ready for pickup. Ten days later, a Netflix executive said the drive had been stolen, according to the lawsuit. A source told THR that the missing item was an unencrypted master copy of Fortitude,...