M. Night Shyamalan in court: Did he just copy the series “Servant”?

Is the Apple TV+ series “Servant,” for which director M. Night Shyamalan (54) was executive producer, copied from a very little-known film from 2013? This question will be examined in court. It could be expensive for the streaming service and Shyamalan.

Director Francesca Gregorini (56) claims that Shyamalan and Apple used key elements of their film “The Truth About Emanuel”. She is therefore demanding a payment of $81 million. Gregorini’s lawyer showed the jury excerpts from both productions during his opening statement in Riverside, California. “This is a simple case,” he explained: “Without ‘Emanuel’ there would be no ‘Servant’.”

Of course, the defense sees this differently. A lawyer for Shyamalan, who appeared in court and is expected to testify at a later date, claimed that series creator Tony Basgallop (56) had been working on the idea for “Servant” long before the film was released. Gregorini wants to enrich herself: “She’s demanding $81 million for work she didn’t do.”

The director had already sued in 2020, but the case was initially dismissed before being reopened in 2022. “The Truth About Emanuel” with Jessica Biel (42) and Kaya Scodelario (32), which was released in 2013, is said not to have been particularly successful, at least in the cinema. The defense was able to provide evidence that the film grossed a whopping $226 in Los Angeles. In Philadelphia it was only nine dollars from a single moviegoer.

“Harry Potter” star Rupert Grint (36) and Lauren Ambrose (46) can be seen in “Servant”. According to the report, the process is expected to take around two weeks.