Director M. Night Shyamalan is facing a lawsuit over allegations that he copied ideas from the 2013 independent film ‘The Truth About Emanuel’ for his Apple TV+ show ‘Servant.’ Francesca Gregorini, the director of ‘The Truth About Emanuel,’ is suing Shyamalan and Apple for $81 million, claiming that the show stole key elements from her film.
The Legal Battle
Gregorini’s lawyers argued that the plot similarities between the two properties, including the wrinkle that a nanny joins the woman in the delusion, means “There would be no ‘Servant’ without ‘Emanuel'”. Shyamalan’s attorney, however, thinks Gregorini is seeking an $81 million “windfall”.
Gregorini previously filed a copyright lawsuit against Shyamalan, referring to his work as “gender arrogance,” arguing that ‘Servant’ is a “caricature of the male gaze” and a “bastardization of Ms. Gregorini’s work”.
The Court’s Decision
The initial case was dismissed, but the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals revived the suit in 2022. Despite Apple’s attempts to get the suit thrown out again, the judge ordered a jury trial. Shyamalan is expected to testify in the trial, which is expected to run about two weeks.
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