This year’s highly anticipated horror movie, titled “Together“, has unfortunately garnered some undesirable legal scrutiny. Prior to being acquired by Neon for a summer release, this body horror flick created quite a stir at the Sundance Film Festival. However, now it’s embroiled in a copyright dispute that specifically names the film’s leading actors, Dave Franco and Alison Brie, as well as its writer and director, Michael Shanks.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, StudioFest has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court claiming that James Franco and Alison Brie declined to star in a movie titled “Better Half” which StudioFest financed and owns the rights to, in 2023. StudioFest suspects that the couple chose not to act in this film because they planned to create another movie with writer-director Shanks (another WME client) that eventually became “Together,” a supernatural film featuring a similar plot about a couple whose bodies merge. The defendants named in the lawsuit are producers Franco and Brie, director Shanks, talent agency WME, and Neon, who purchased the movie from the Sundance Film Festival.
‘Better Half’ Has Scenes Strikingly Similar to Those Featured In ‘Together’
As per the court case, Patrick Phelan penned “Better Half” in the year 2019, and later StudioFest acquired rights for the movie. The casting director of the film then contacted talent agents at WME, who manage Dave Franco and Alison Brie, proposing them a fee of $20,000 to star as main characters in the movie. The crucial aspect of this lawsuit is that the complete script of “Better Half” was enclosed with the message, which could potentially be considered the starting point for the alleged copyright violation.
Initially, both actors declined the proposal, but StudioFest pressed on with producing “Better Half”, which was eventually released in 2023 without much attention. Jumping ahead to this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the creators of “Better Half” were left speechless when they watched “Together”. According to the lawsuit, they felt as if their worst fears were coming true, as the movie bore a striking resemblance to their own production.
The legal dispute delves deeper into the resemblances between the two projects, as both movies feature a pair who, when their bodies merge, symbolize codependency physically. The lawsuit claims that both films share identical endings, and it’s notable that in key musical scenes, the characters play the same Spice Girls vinyl record. StudioFest’s legal representative Dan Miller explains, “Both stories depict the main characters, where Character A is a teacher, and Character B is an aspiring punk artist seeking success.
In the lawsuit, it is stated that the duo, referred to as “Better Half” and “Together,” both utilize a common visual theme – depicting two rodents fused together symbolically hinting at the movie’s future events. Moreover, an intriguing scene unfolds in a bathroom setting where the characters become conjoined at their lower bodies while attempting to conceal this unusual situation from another character. This unexpected twist, as described in the lawsuit, is not a common trope found in typical narratives.
Instead of employing a common comedic device, this is an intricate, deliberate artistic decision that both works share. They both portray the scene in a nearly identical way by using a visual shot of the minor character’s feet visible from just outside the door. The Defendants used a similar blend of uncomfortable physical connection, the necessity to stay concealed, and the romantic implication of the impending outsider to create a remarkably similar atmosphere.
As of now, Franco, Brie, WME, or Neon haven’t responded to the lawsuit. However, Franco confessed to The Hollywood Reporter that he agreed to produce the horror film after WME set up a meeting between him and Shanks. It’s said that Brie came on board the project after reading the script, which Franco found compelling enough to suggest to his partner Alison for acting in it, as their characters had been together in the story for over a decade, and he believed their real-life relationship could enhance the dynamic of their roles.
As a movie reviewer, I must admit, it seems like trouble brews for those named in the lawsuit, and I can’t help but feel a pang of worry for Neon, who recently splurged $17 million on this film, making it the most extravagant deal in Sundance Film Festival history. The movie has just unveiled its full theatrical trailer, after teasing us with the first glimpse, and is set to hit the screens in August. It’s no secret that this horror flick is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year, boasting a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The anticipation is palpable, but it seems we’re only at the start of what could be a prolonged struggle.
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2025-05-13 22:58