Netflix Hit With $105 Million Suit After Losing Copy of Nicolas Cage WWII Film

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- Simon Afram filed a $105 million suit against Netflix on Wednesday after the company lost an unencrypted copy of his WWII film "Fortitude," starring Nicolas Cage and Ben Kingsley
- Afram, a Swiss businessman, wrote the script for "Fortitude" and spent seven years and $45 million bringing the film to the screen
- The lost copy was unencrypted, according to the suit filed against Netflix
- "Fortitude" is a World War II film featuring Oscar winners Nicolas Cage and Ben Kingsley as its lead actors
Why it matters: Afram poured seven years and $45 million into "Fortitude" before Netflix allegedly lost the only unencrypted copy, and his $105 million claim is more than double his stated production cost. For Netflix, the suit turns a physical-asset mishap into a nine-figure liability fight, and for independent producers it raises the stakes on how streamers custody masters and working copies of unreleased films.




