M. Night Shyamalan Expected To Testify In Riverside, CA Court In Copyright Trial

India-West News Desk

RIVERSIDE, CA – Acclaimed filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan appeared in federal court on January 14, defending against allegations that his Apple TV+ series Servant plagiarized elements from Francesca Gregorini’s 2013 independent film, The Truth About Emanuel.

Gregorini, an Italian-born director, is seeking $81 million in damages, alleging that Servant copied key narrative components of her Sundance-screened film.

Shyamalan, who directed and executive-produced Servant, sat with Apple TV+ officials behind his defense team. He is expected to testify in a trial that will last two weeks.

The lawsuit, originally filed in  2020 shortly after Servant premiered, was dismissed by a federal judge but later revived in 2022 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Apple’s attempt to dismiss the case via summary judgment was denied in November, pushing the matter to a jury trial.

Shyamalan, known for his psychological thrillers and twist endings, is expected to testify, alongside other creators of Servant.

Variety reported that his attorney emphasized his background, noting he was born in India and raised in Philadelphia without connections to the entertainment industry, contrasting this with Gregorini’s European upbringing and early access to the film world.

The film under contention, The Truth About Emanuel received critical recognition but failed commercially, earning just $226 in Los Angeles and $9 in Philadelphia, according to evidence presented by the defense.