M. Night Shyamalan Faces $81 Million Lawsuit

M. Night Shyamalan, known for his expertise in thrillers, was involved in the production of the horror series “Servant,” which aired on Apple TV+ for four seasons from 2019 to 2023. Shyamalan served as a producer, showrunner, and occasional director for the show. Recently, both he and Apple have been hit with an $81 million lawsuit filed by an Italian filmmaker named Francesca Gregorini. She claims that “Servant” borrowed elements from her 2013 project without her permission.

Gregorini argues that her film “The Truth About Emanuel” shares striking similarities with “Servant.” Jurors are now watching episodes of the series and the feature film to assess the validity of her claims. Her attorney believes the resemblances are too significant to be mere coincidence.

The defense team for Shyamalan and Apple has a different perspective, portraying Gregorini as someone seeking financial gain from the situation. They argue that the similarity between the two projects is not as substantial as claimed by the plaintiff.

This dispute revolves around a narrative element present in both works, involving a grieving mother who treats a doll as her deceased child. Gregorini argues that her film has been available on iTunes for several years, and asserts a connection between her film and “Servant” based on communications with an Apple executive.

The defense argues that the narrative device in question is not unique to Gregorini’s film, emphasizing that ideas and facts cannot be copyrighted. Shyamalan is expected to testify, defending the originality of his series and asserting that it was not influenced by Gregorini’s earlier work.

While this is not the first time Gregorini has alleged similarities between “Emanuel” and “Servant,” the case has been revived for further consideration. As the legal proceedings continue, it will be up to the judge and jury to determine the outcome. Shyamalan’s established career in creating original thriller and horror content further supports the defense’s argument that “Servant” is an independent work.

As the case unfolds, it is likely that the jury will recognize the creative autonomy of Shyamalan’s series and the originality of “Servant.”