Netflix sued over missing unreleased Nicolas Cage movie Fortitude

Key Points:

• Netflix is being sued for allegedly losing an unencrypted copy of the $45 million Nicolas Cage thriller "Fortitude," exposing the unreleased film to piracy and leaks, with the lawsuit seeking $105 million in damages.
• The plaintiffs, Op-Fortitude Ltd. and producer Simon Afram, claim the breach caused significant financial losses by compromising the film's exclusivity and forced a pause in marketing ahead of awards season.
• Netflix denied wrongdoing, stating the film was delivered without standard security measures like encryption, and accused the plaintiffs of attempting to extort money from the company.
• The lawsuit alleges Netflix left the unencrypted drive unattended after a private screening in June 2026, concealed the breach, and downplayed the incident by calling the drive "missing" rather than stolen.
• Netflix claims it has taken content security seriously by investigating the incident and monitoring piracy sites, but withheld investigation details due to the plaintiffs' alleged hostile demands for $165 million.