The Los Angeles Police Department is reportedly investigating the disappearance of Fortitude, an unreleased Nicolas Cage thriller that filmmakers allege was stolen from Netflix’s Hollywood headquarters.
LAPD reportedly investigates after filmmakers file report over Netflix security breach
As reported by Page Six Hollywood, a source said screenwriter, producer and financier Simon Afram personally filed a police report, with the investigation now ongoing. The $45 million World War II thriller, directed by Simon West, allegedly vanished along with other drives sometime between June 16 and June 25.
The filmmakers claim an unencrypted master copy of the movie was taken from an office desk. According to a lawsuit filed by Afram, a Netflix executive acknowledged the incident in a June 25 email. The person allegedly called the movie “stolen” and described it as a “breach.”
Netflix has said it conducted its own investigation while denying responsibility for the loss.
“Netflix disputes any claim that it bears the risk of loss for a film delivered without the proper industry-standard safeguards. While we do not own the rights to ‘Fortitude,’ we take content security seriously and have taken extra measures to support the filmmaker and his team,” the company said.
Afram later sued Netflix for breach of contract, claiming “careless and negligent treatment” of the film. He also added a defamation claim after Netflix characterized his demands as “extortionist.” The lawsuit is seeking $105 million in damages.
The filmmakers have continued to question the lack of police involvement. A source close to the project said: “Eight weeks of internal investigation, what’s the result? No police report filled [by Netflix], insurance not informed nor involved. Why? No collaboration with us nor LAPD. Why?”
Meanwhile, Netflix has not responded to a request for comment, while the LAPD has reportedly not confirmed or denied whether a police report was filed.
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Originally reported by Deepshikha Sarkar for Mandatory