Producer Sues Netflix Over Lost Unreleased Nicolas Cage Movie

A shaper sued Netflix connected Wednesday, alleging nan streamer mislaid an unreleased transcript of a caller Nicholas Cage movie that resulted successful damages of astatine slightest $105 million.

Producer Simon Afram invested much than $45 cardinal of his ain money making “Fortitude,” a movie that takes spot during World War II and features actors including Cage, Sir Ben Kingsley and Ron Perlman, according to nan lawsuit. The movie, described arsenic “Ocean’s Eleven” meets “Inglourious Basterds,” is based connected Operation Fortitude, an effort during World War II, wherever double agents group a trap against Adolf Hitler and his armies. The movie has not yet been released and is seeking buyers.

“Fortitude” had its ain enigma past period erstwhile nan thrust that erstwhile held nan movie went missing.

On June 15, Daniel Haido, an subordinate shaper of “Fortitude” dropped disconnected an unencrypted transcript of nan movie for Netflix to position and instructed nan unit to delete nan files aft nan screening. Haido besides told Netflix to notify him erstwhile nan thrust was fresh for prime up, but Netflix was unresponsive to respective efforts to prime up nan drive, nan suit said. On June 25, Netflix notified Haido that nan thrust was stolen.

“Unfortunately, personification stole a bully magnitude of drives from our agency desks this past week,” wrote Sean Berney, a head for original movie astatine Netflix successful a June 25 email, according to nan lawsuit. “We’ve been moving done this pinch our information teams to nary luck.”

Berney successful his email offered to reimburse Afram’s institution for nan missing thrust aliases create a caller integer cinema package, according to nan lawsuit.

But Afram successful his suit said nan harm was overmuch greater than that. He is seeking economical damages of astatine slightest $105 million, on pinch different costs .

“By losing power of nan Film, Netflix destroyed that exclusivity and materially, if not completely, impaired nan Film’s marketability,” his suit said. “It is not fathomable that a blase purchaser would put tens of millions of dollars to get nan Film—and tens of millions much to marketplace it—while facing nan changeless consequence that it could look online to beryllium viewed wide for free astatine immoderate time.”

Netflix successful a connection said it is conducting an investigation and is offering to show piracy sites for immoderate unauthorized distribution aliases waste of nan film. The streamer accused Simon Afram’s rule patient of “hostile attempts to extort money from Netflix complete this business — including instantly demanding $165 cardinal for nan movie alternatively than activity pinch america successful bully faith.”

“Netflix disputes immoderate declare that it bears nan consequence of nonaccomplishment for a movie delivered without nan due industry-standard safeguards,” nan institution said successful a statement. “While we do not ain nan authorities to Fortitude, we return contented information earnestly and person taken other measures to support nan filmmaker and his team. ”

Akerman LLP, 1 of nan firms representing Afram successful his lawsuit, declined to comment, citing pending litigation. Johnson & Johnson LLP did not instantly return a petition for comment.