M. Night Shyamalan and Apple Corporation are facing a lawsuit that claims they infringed on copyright to the tune of $81 million, due to disputes surrounding the television show “Servant.
Tony Basgallop’s creation, “Servant,” made its debut on Apple TV+ in November 2019. This psychological horror series continued for a total of four seasons, with the final episodes airing in March 2023. M. Night Shyamalan was the showrunner for “Servant” and also served as an executive producer.
Why are M. Night Shyamalan and Apple being sued over Servant?
According to reports, Francesca Gregorini, a filmmaker of Italian origin, is filing a lawsuit against M. Night Shyamalan and Apple for $81 million. She claims that their series allegedly copied “essential aspects” from her 2013 film titled The Truth About Emanuel.
During the opening statement in federal court in Riverside, California on Tuesday, Patrick Arenz, her lawyer, played footage of two projects to the jurors. According to Variety’s report, he asserted that these projects portray a mother who is delusional and treats a doll like a real baby, while also suggesting that a nanny knowingly participates in this delusion.
Arenx told the jury, “This is a simple case. There would be no Servant without Emanuel.”
Meanwhile, Brittany Amadi, representing the defense, contended that work on the project known as Servant had started prior to the release of The Truth About Emanuel.
Amadi stated that Ms. Gregorini appears to be aiming for a large, unexpected payment. In reality, the creators of ‘Servant’ are under no obligation to pay her the $81 million she is demanding, as it seems she has not contributed any work to the project.
Amadi continued by saying that “Servant” is a chilling supernatural tale, while “The Truth About Emanuel” is a heartfelt story about growing up. She also pointed out that the dolls mentioned earlier are not original creations of Gregorini’s, but rather, they are actual tools used in therapy to assist patients in coping with loss.
In January 2020, Gregorini initially filed a lawsuit regarding the matter. The case was dismissed by a federal judge several months later, but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it in 2022. It is anticipated that Shyamalon and other creative figures associated with the show will be called to testify during the trial.
According to the article, Judge Sunshine Sykes declined Apple’s request for a summary judgement in November, meaning that the case will instead proceed to trial before a jury.
The trial is expected to last about two weeks.
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2025-01-15 01:10