Apple, M. Night Shyamalan and Servant creator Tony Basgallop are all involved in the lawsuit (Picture: Apple TV+)
Apple TV Plus series Servant, starring Rupert Grint and executive produced by M. Night Shyamalan, is facing a brutal courtroom drama.
The horror series – created by British screenwriter Tony Basgallop – ran for four seasons from 2019 to 2023.
The show follows a Philadelphian couple who are in mourning after an ‘unspeakable tragedy’ and inadvertently welcome a ‘mysterious force’ into their home.
The Harry Potter star, 36, plays Julian, the uncle to baby Jericho whose new nanny Leanne (Nell Tiger Free) is not all that she appears.
But two years after the show officially wrapped, both Apple and Oscar-nominated director Shyamalan are facing an $81,000,000 (£65million) lawsuit.
Italian-born director Francesca Gregorini alleges that elements of the idea were stolen from her 2013 independent movie, The Truth About Emanuel.
The horror show came to an end in 2023 (Picture: Apple TV+)
The Sixth Sense director is expected to testify at the trial (Picture: Getty)
The Sixth Sense director stood trial on Tuesday to face the allegations as Gregorini’s attorney Patrick Arenz delivered an opening statement comparing clips from the movie and the TV series showing a delusional mother caring for a doll as a real child, and the many complicit.
‘This is a simple case. There would be no Servant without Emanuel,’ Arenz told the jury, per Variety.
He alleged that early forms of the ‘vulgar and vile’ script did not, vitally, include the mother and doll thread.
‘The defendants would not have made one dime of profit without the original and unique elements of Emanuel,’ he said, noting that Emanuel was available to watch on various platforms such as iTunes and found in the inbox of Apple TV executive Aronson.
Producer Taylor Latham, head of programming at Apple TV Plus, Matt Cherniss, and Basgallop were also present at the trial.
Defence attorney Brittany Amadi then claimed that Basgallop drew up this idea years before the independent movie was released and none of the creative team have used elements from the movie since then.
‘Ms. Gregorini is seeking a windfall here. She’s seeking $81 million for work she didn’t do. The truth is the creators of Servant do not owe anything to Ms. Gregorini,’ Amadi said.
And pointed to the differences between the two projects – describing Servant as a ‘supernatural thriller’ and Emanuel as ‘an emotional coming-of-age drama.’
Reborn dolls are also a commonly known therapeutic aid for grieving patients.
The mother and reborn doll element is at the heart of the contention (Picture: Apple TV+)
M. Night Shyamalan was an executive producer on the series (Picture: WireImage)
Amadi added: ‘Ms. Gregorini did not invent the idea of a reborn doll. You can’t own a fact, and you can’t own an idea.’
The lawsuit was originally filed in January 2020, but was thrown out by a federal judge.
The case was revived in 2022 by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals after finding a genuine dispute over whether the works were ‘substantially similar’. Judge Sunshine Sykes ordered the suit be settled by jury after Apple motioned for a summary judgment.
The jury is now required to watch the independent movie and the first three episodes of Servant.
The Truth About Emanuel, starring Jessica Biel, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. Overall, it grossed $235 (£191) across Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
The Emmy-nominated creative has gone on to direct shows such as The Dropout, Killing Eve and Humans.
Shyamalan is expected to testify as the trial continues.
The show gained widespread critical acclaim (Picture: Jessica Kourkounis)
Meanwhile, Servant proved to be a critical success for Apple. On average the show has a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes and, even more impressively, the fourth and final season secured a coveted 100%.
In its countless rave reviews, it has been hailed as ‘one of the best horrors on television’, ‘perfect’ and ‘darkly funny’.
The trial comes during a difficult week for major streaming platforms.
Earlier this week, Disney faced a $10m (8.2m) lawsuit from an animator claiming the studio copied their idea for Moana and the sequel.
Metro has reached out to M. Night Shyamalan and Apple TV Plus’ representatives for comment.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.