M. Night Shyamalan Faces Lawsuit (Again) Over ‘Servant’ Similarities to 2013 Indie Film

If you’re an avid follower of Shyamalan’s work you are likely aware that the famous director had a show on AppleTV+ titled ‘Servant’ which ran for 4 seasons from 2019 to 2023. ‘Servant’ was a psychological horror TV show created by Tony Basgallop and produced by M. Night Shyamalan.

The series focused on Dorothy and Sean Turner, a couple who hire a nanny, Leanne, to care for their baby, Jericho. However, their child is dead, and Dorothy believes the doll is her real son, leading to a multitude of strange events that reveal dark secrets both about the family and Leanne.

The show was well-received for its atmosphere and the strong performances of its cast. It’s really on par with Shyamalan’s work in general and makes you wonder what the hell is going on most of the time. The show was successful overall.

For the majority of the show, one of the main motifs is Dorothy’s and Sean’s “dead ” son who is replaced by a doll so Dorothy can cope with her grief in a more healthy way, although if you’ve watched the show you know that her approach is anything but healthy.

Back in 2020, Francesca Gregorini claimed M. Night Shyamalan’s show copied her 2013 film ‘The Truth About Emanuel,’ as both feature a delusional mother who believes her doll is alive and hires a nanny.

She previously sued Shyamalan for copyright infringement, but the case was dismissed in 2020, with the court ordering her to pay legal fees. However, in 2022, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals revived the lawsuit, and a judge ordered a jury trial, despite Apple’s attempts to dismiss the case again.

Shyamalan argues that Gregorini didn’t invent “reborn dolls,” which are used for grief therapy, and defends against claims that she’s targeting “Hollywood elites” because of her famous family.

Gregorini is the daughter of an Italian count and actress Barbara Bach, who is married to Ringo Starr. Shyamalan will testify during the trial, which is expected to last about two weeks.

Shyamalan’s lawyer, Brittany Amadi also told the jury that Tony Basgallop, the creator of ‘Servant,’ had started working on the show long before ‘The Truth About Emanuel’ was released, and that none of the show was copied from the film.

“Ms. Gregorini is seeking a windfall here. She’s seeking 81 million dollars for work she didn’t do. The truth is the creators of Servant do not owe anything to Ms. Gregorini,”

The jury will watch ‘The Truth About Emanuel’ and the first three episodes of ‘Servant’ over the next two weeks, after which Shyamalan and the show’s creators will testify. To prove plagiarism, Francesca must show that both projects are very similar and that Shyamalan’s team had access to her film.

The movie starred Jessica Biel and Kaya Scodelario and was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. However, it didn’t make much money, with only $226 grossed in Los Angeles and just $9 from a single viewer in Philadelphia, which the defense used to argue against the plagiarism claim.

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