M Night Shyamalan sued for $81m in copyright claim against popular Apple TV series
‘The Sixth Sense’ director is on trial in a claim worth $81m (£66m)
Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter
I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy
Director M Night Shyamalan went on trial on Tuesday (14 January) over allegations that he plagiarised from an independent film for his Apple TV + series Servant.
The $81m (£66m) lawsuit brought by Italian director Francesca Gregorini accuses Shyamalan of taking key elements from her 2013 film The Truth about Emanuel.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Shyamalan, is best known for classics including The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. His films are said to have cumulatively grossed over $3.3bn (£2.7bn).
His psychological horror series, Servant, follows the story of a couple who hire an eighteen-year-old girl to help them look after a child. It transpires that the child is dead, and has been replaced by a reborn doll, which the traumatised mother still believes is alive.
Gregorini alleges that the film shares substantial similarities to hers. She originally sued in January 2000, shortly after the series was released. The case was thrown out by a federal judge in the first instance, but was revived in 2022 by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals who found a genuine dispute over whether the works were in fact “substantially similar”.
Apple filed a motion for a summary judgment in November that was denied, instead a Judge ordered that the lawsuit would be settled by a jury.
The jury in the case will be required to watch both The Truth about Emanuel and the first three episodes of Servant, back-to-back before the attorneys of both respective parties make their case.
M Night Shyamalan is facing trial over copyright claims (Getty Images )Shyamalan is said to have sat behind defence attorneys and producer Taylor Latham and Matt Cherniss, the head of programming at Apple TV+ according to Variety. British writer Tony Basgallop who created the series sat at the defence counsel table. Shyamalan is expected to testify through the course of proceedings.
Gregorini’s team must prove that teh works have both substantial similarity and access to the allegedly infringed work.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Try for freeWatch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Try for freeStarring Jessica Biel and Kaya Scodelario, The Truth About Emanuel, played at the Sundance Film Festival when it was first released. It did not have much success, grossing a paltry $226 in LA and $9 from one viewer in Philadelphia.
Servant follows the story of a woman who has lost her baby as she adopts a doll (Apple TV+ )“Ms. Gregorini is seeking a windfall here,” Shyamalan’s attorney Brittany Amadi told the court.
“She’s seeking $81 million for work she didn’t do. The truth is the creators of ‘Servant’ do not owe anything to Ms Gregorini.”
Gregorini’s representative Patrick Arenz told the jury: “This is a simple case. There would be no Servant without Emanuel.”
The trial is expected to last two weeks.
McIlroy might be one of the most recognisable faces in golf, but he was able to enjoy some Bundesliga action without being spotted
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
The former Bachelor revealed the couple’s split after four years together by posting an emotional prayer via Instagram on Thursday morning.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer says Sweden faces violent extremism, organized crime, and hostile actions from state actors threatening the nation’s security.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Hulu's new drama from 'This is Us' scribe Dan Fogelman stars Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, and Julianne Nicholson. WATCH
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Will Ferrell recalled, “I went to see [Walken] backstage, and he’s like, ‘You know, you’ve ruined my life…every show, people bring cowbells for the curtain call and bang them. It’s quit…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
NEWLY-single Tasha Ghouri struggled to put on a brave face following her shock split as she was spotted looking miserable at work on the Strictly Come Dancing live tour. The Sun revealed 26-year-ol…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
He had appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Prince of Wales spoke about his family as he met football fans
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
John Ratcliffe, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the CIA, has worked for AI companies and defense contractors since his time in government.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/file2-63626e3bac994476b2eaa7448cd187d8.jpg)
Renée Zellweger got candid about her 6-year hiatus from Hollywood in a new interview with 'British Vogue,' revealing that she no longer could stand to listen to her own voice.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/file2-63626e3bac994476b2eaa7448cd187d8.jpg&description=Why Renée Zellweger Was ) |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.