More than 30 years after their collaboration on Con Air, Nicolas Cage and director Simon West are re-teaming for Fortitude. The film adapts a pivotal chapter of World War II: Operation Fortitude, a deception campaign designed to mislead the Nazis about the Normandy D-Day landings. However, Fortitude has recently garnered headlines not for its historical premise or star-studded cast, but for a dramatic potential leak. While the film was seeking a distributor, a work print reportedly landed at Netflix's offices. Instead of being destroyed as expected after viewing, it was allegedly stolen.
While the film's illegal release hasn't (yet?) occurred, the risk persists. This prompted the Fortitude team to sue the streaming giant, seeking a staggering $105 million in damages. Consequently, Fortitude remains in limbo, without an official distributor or release date. Despite these legal woes, promotion has begun with a first trailer that gleefully mocks Hitler and the Nazis.
Hitler's Folly Unveiled
The trailer immediately evokes the caustic humor, energetic style, and frenetic editing often associated with Guy Ritchie's films. It primarily lays out the core premise: British intelligence agents aim to deceive Hitler, convincing him that the Allied D-Day landings will occur in Pas-de-Calais rather than Normandy. To achieve this elaborate ruse, they employ fake tanks, planes, and ships, alongside a network of double agents.
Among these agents is Duško Popov, a Serbian spy who worked for the British and infiltrated German ranks. Popov is notably credited as a partial inspiration for Ian Fleming's iconic James Bond character, Fleming himself having worked for the Naval Intelligence Division during the war.
The film leans heavily into these Bond references, showcasing signature coolness, ingenious gadgets, romantic liaisons, and even the iconic 'Vodka Martini, shaken, not stirred.' Nicolas Cage, who has reportedly recovered from the cancellation of Spider-Noir, embodies this character. This role will also offer audiences another chance to witness Cage's famously expressive facial contortions, this time while disguised as a Nazi.
Ian Fleming is portrayed by Art Malik, known for his role as the terrorist villain in True Lies. Winston Churchill is brought to life by Michael Sheen, while Daniel Philpott, who previously played Hitler in The Crown and Ils étaient un seul homme, reprises the role. The impressive ensemble cast also features Matthew Goode, Ron Perlman, Ben Kingsley, Ed Skrein (Jurassic Park: Renaissance), Paul Anderson (Peaky Blinders), and Alice Eve (Iron Fist).