Netflix is now facing a $105 million lawsuit in California federal court, brought by writer‑producer Simon Afram of the upcoming Nicolas Cage‑starring film Fortitude, after the streaming giant admitted that an unreleased master copy of the movie was stolen when several hard‑drive cassettes vanished from its Sunset Bronson Studios office in Los Angeles.
The claim, reported by The Hollywood Reporter, states that Afram and his Op‑Fortitude production company formally sued Netflix on July 30, citing that a master copy of the World War II period drama had been physically delivered to the company’s Los Angeles headquarters on June 15, following Netflix’s expressed interest in acquiring distribution rights.
In a June 25 email from Head of Film Acquisitions Sean Berney, Netflix confirmed the theft: “This is a first for us… Unfortunately, someone stole a good amount of drives from our office desks this past week. We’ve been working through this with our security teams to no luck. Our piracy teams are on high alert with the breach and will monitor.”
According to the lawsuit, Netflix allegedly declined to involve the Los Angeles Police Department in its internal investigation, and the company has remained silent on the matter. Netflix’s California counsel dismissed Op‑Fortitude’s claim as a “hostile attempt to extort money.”
Fortitude, a film still without a scheduled release, is facing a bleak outlook because it has yet to secure a distribution partner. In a recent lawsuit, the producers warned that the alleged theft of the master copy could severely damage their ability to sell the project to another distributor. As of now, the movie has not surfaced on any torrent sites, and no suspect has been identified.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the lawsuit about and why is Netflix being sued?
Netflix is being sued for a $105 million claim filed by writer‑producer Simon Afram of the upcoming Nicolas Cage film "Fortitude." The lawsuit alleges that Netflix admitted an unreleased master copy of the movie was stolen from its Sunset Bronson Studios office when several hard‑drive cassettes vanished, and that Netflix failed to involve law enforcement or adequately protect the footage.
How did the master copy of "Fortitude" get stolen and what evidence supports this claim?
According to the lawsuit and a June 25 email from Netflix’s Head of Film Acquisitions, a good amount of drives containing the master copy were stolen from office desks in the Los Angeles headquarters. The claim is based on internal security reports, the disappearance of the drives, and the fact that Netflix confirmed the theft in its own communications.
What steps is Netflix taking to address the breach and prevent future incidents?
Netflix has stated that its piracy teams are on high alert and monitoring the situation. The company claims it is working with security teams to investigate the breach, although it has reportedly declined to involve the Los Angeles Police Department. No public statement has been made beyond these internal measures, and the lawsuit is still pending.
News Source: Kotaku
Comments
Be the first to comment.