M. Night Shyamalan's $81 Million Copyright Case Over 'Servant'
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Synopsis
Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan is involved in a significant copyright trial, facing allegations of copying an independent film while creating his streaming series 'Servant'. Francesca Gregorini is suing for $81 million, claiming her work was unlawfully used. The case is set to be determined by a jury after being revived by the appeals court.
Key Takeaways
- M. Night Shyamalan is in a legal conflict over 'Servant'.
- Francesca Gregorini claims her film was copied.
- The lawsuit seeks $81 million in damages.
- The case was revived after initial dismissal.
- A jury will ultimately decide the outcome.
Los Angeles, Jan 15 (NationPress) Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan is currently embroiled in a legal battle regarding claims that he plagiarized from an independent film to create the streaming series ‘Servant’.
The series is available on Apple TV+. Director Francesca Gregorini, originally from Italy, is filing a lawsuit against Shyamalan and Apple for $81 million, asserting that the show unlawfully borrowed significant elements from her 2013 film, ‘The Truth About Emanuel’, as reported by Variety.
During his opening statement in federal court in Riverside, California, her attorney, Patrick Arenz, presented clips from both productions to the jury.
According to Variety, Arenz contended that both narratives feature a delusional mother who treats a doll as if it were a real infant, along with a nanny who endorses this delusion.
“This is a straightforward case,” Arenz asserted to the jury. “There would be no ‘Servant’ without ‘Emanuel’.”
M. Night Shyamalan was present behind the defense team, alongside producer Taylor Latham and Matt Cherniss, the head of programming at Apple TV+. Tony Basgallop, the British writer who conceptualized the series, was seated at the defense table, while Gregorini was positioned with her legal team at the plaintiffs’ table.
When the defense presented its case, attorney Brittany Amadi argued that Basgallop began the show’s development years before ‘The Truth About Emanuel’ was released, and that the creators of the show did not reference the film.
“Ms. Gregorini is attempting to gain an undue advantage here,” Amadi stated. “She’s pursuing $81 million for work she did not produce. The reality is that the creators of ‘Servant’ owe nothing to Ms. Gregorini.” Gregorini initiated her lawsuit in January 2020, shortly after the premiere of ‘Servant’ on the platform.
A federal judge initially dismissed the case a few months later, but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it in 2022, identifying a legitimate disagreement regarding whether the two works are “substantially similar.”
Judge Sunshine Sykes denied Apple’s request for summary judgment in November, mandating that a jury would need to resolve the dispute.
