CT Man Wants To Stop Netflix From Airing Movie: Here's Why

STAMFORD, CT — A Stamford attorney is suing streaming giant Netflix on behalf of two Panamanian lawyers over the release of the upcoming film, "The Laundromat," according to media reports.

According to the Stamford Advocate, criminal defense attorney Stephan Seeger has charged that his clients, Jurgen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca, are portrayed in a libelous manner in the film, making them appear to be "ruthless, uncaring lawyers" involved in criminal conduct.

Seeger was attempting to stop the film's release, however it appeared on the streaming platform Friday.

According to the Fairfield County Business Journal, Mossack and Fonseca are under federal indictment following the 2016 leak of the "Panama Papers," 11.5 million documents that detail financial and attorney–client information for thousands of offshore entities.

The film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, features characters named after Mossack and Fonseca, played by Gary Odlman and Antonio Banderas respectively, according to IMdB.

In a 44-page response filed Thursday, Netflix said the lawyers' request should be denied, as it "seeks a virtually unheard-of prior restraint on speech," the Stamford Advocate reports.

According to The Guardian, the company also said the film was not presented as a non-fictional account of the Panama Papers scandal. Instead, it is a comedic tale meant to bring attention to the abuse of offshore shell corporations and tax shelters, and the Mossack and Fonseca characters were "palpably farcical."

As of Friday, "The Laundromat" is currently streaming on Netflix. In addition to Oldman and Banderas, the film stars Meryl Streep, Sharon Stone, David Schwimmer, Melissa Rauch, James Cromwell and Jeffrey Wright.