By Nell Geraets
The stars and director of the Australian-made horror movie Together have been sued in the US for allegedly “blatantly ripping-off” an independent 2023 film.
Filmmaker Michael Shanks, married stars Alison Brie (Community) and Dave Franco (21 Jump Street), their agency WME, and distributor Neon were served with a copyright infringement lawsuit on Tuesday (US time) over the film, which is set to open the Sydney Film Festival next month.
The suit claims the concept of Together was stolen from Better Half, a satirical romcom directed by US filmmaker Patrick Henry Phelan.
The US stars of the Australian-made horror film Together, Alison Brie and Dave Franco, and its Australian director Michael Shanks are being sued for alleged copyright infringement. Credit: Sydney Film Festival
The suit, which was filed by Better Half’s production Company StudioFest, also accuses the Together team of copying other thematic elements, including a direct reference to Plato’s Symposium, and other pivotal plot points.
“Both works end in the same way, with the couple pulling out a vinyl record of the Spice Girls album Spiceworld in the scene where they accept their fate,” the suit states.
According to the lawsuit, Phelan wrote the screenplay for Better Half in 2019. The script was allegedly pitched to Franco, Brie and the agency that represents them both, WME, in August 2020, and the two actors were offered roles in the film.
However, Franco and his representatives reportedly rejected it.
“The script was shared in confidence and with the understanding that it would not be disclosed or used beyond the limits of the confidence without StudioFest’s consent,” the suit claims.
The suit alleges “[the] defendants engaged in an intentional scheme to copy Better Half, and that Franco and Brie rejected StudioFest’s offer because they wanted to produce the film themselves and have WME package the project with one of the agency’s own writers”.
WME has rejected the accusations. A spokesperson said the lawsuit was “frivolous and without merit”.
“The facts in this case are clear, and we plan to vigorously defend ourselves,” they said.
Neon, Shanks, Brie and Franco were also contacted for comment.
The Together team are yet to file their defence in the case and no copyright infringement has been found by a court.
Melbourne-based Michael Shanks wrote and directed Together, the distribution rights to which were bought by Neon after its debut at Sundance in January for a reported and near-record $US17 million ($A26.4 million).
Shanks’ script received $27,500 in development funding support from Screen Australia in the 2020-21 financial year. It was shot at Docklands Studios, the Dandenongs and other locations around Melbourne in 2024.
The filmmaker told this masthead in April that his script had sat in a drawer for years before being circulated after another of his scripts, Hotel Hotel Hotel Hotel, was included on the Black List, an annual list of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood, in 2021.
After a meeting was set up with Franco to discuss the possibility of working together, he sent the actor his script. Soon after, the star told Shanks that he and his wife, Brie, were interested in pursuing the project.
The lawsuit claims the producers of Better Half became aware of the existence of Together on January 29, 2025. The following day, two producers of Phelan’s movie attended a screening of Together at the Sundance Film Festival to assess the similarities.
“As the audience laughed and cheered, [the producers] sat in stunned silence, their worst nightmare unfolding,” the suit states.
“Scene after scene confirmed that Defendants did not simply take ‘stock ideas’ or ‘scenes a faire’, but stole virtually every unique aspect of Better Half’s copyrightable expression.”
Better Half, which was Phelan’s feature debut, follows two people who meet for a one-night stand and physically fuse while having sex. Trailers for the film appear to have been removed from the internet. StudioFest has been approached for comment.
Meanwhile, the synopsis for Together states: “When not-so-young-anymore couple Tim and Millie finally take the plunge and buy a house they are exposed to a mysterious virus that causes their bodies to start to fuse together”.
StudioFest is seeking damages and an injunction to prevent further infringement of its copyright, which could prevent the film being screened until the matter is resolved.
However, a spokesperson for the Sydney Film Festival has confirmed that Together will still open the festival on June 4.
According to a recent press release announcing its program launch, Shanks will be in attendance to present the movie.
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