He funded a $45 million film with Nicolas Cage from his own pocket. Then the film was stolen

Swiss producer Simon Aperghis financed a $45 million World War II thriller starring Nicolas Cage and Ben Kingsley. After production, an unencrypted hard drive containing the film disappeared from Netflix's offices. Aperghis is suing the streaming giant for $105 million, alleging breach of contract. Netflix has accused his lawyers of extortion. The film, based on a true story about Hitler's deception, remains without a distributor, with at least three major companies declining to acquire it. The article details the complex chain of events, including Aperghis's previous lawsuits against Martin Scorsese, production difficulties, and the producer's relative inexperience.

Swiss producer Simon Aperghis self-financed a $45 million World War II thriller titled 'Fortitude,' starring Nicolas Cage and Ben Kingsley. After production was completed, an unencrypted hard drive containing a copy of the film disappeared from Netflix's offices. Aperghis filed a $105 million lawsuit against the streaming giant for breach of contract. Netflix, in turn, accused his lawyers of extortion. The film, based on a true story of Hitler's deception, remains without a distributor, with at least three major distribution companies declining to acquire it. The article describes the convoluted sequence of events, including Aperghis's previous lawsuits against Martin Scorsese, production challenges, and the producer's relative lack of experience.