Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan, Apple, and other “Hollywood elite” are accused of stealing from an indie director’s film to create the Apple TV+ series Servant, a California federal jury heard during opening statements of an $81 million copyright infringement trial.
Patrick M. Arenz of Robins Kaplan LLP, representing plaintiff Francesca Gregorini, argued that her 2013 film The Truth About Emanuel was the inspiration for Servant, which premiered in November 2019 as part of the launch of Apple’s streaming service, Apple+. Arenz explained that both productions feature a delusional mother who loses a child and treats a doll as a real baby while hiring a nanny to care for the fake infant.
Arenz emphasized the striking similarities between the two projects, stating that the evidence of copying is clear for anyone who watches both. He cautioned the jury not to be influenced by the powerful entertainment figures involved, including Shyamalan, known for The Sixth Sense, and Servant creator Tony Basgallop.
