Alison Brie and Dave Franco in a still from ‘Together’
| Photo Credit: Neon
Alison Brie and Dave Franco are facing a copyright infringement lawsuit over their new film Together, which premiered at Sundance and was acquired by Neon for a reported $17 million. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday by StudioFest, alleges that the film is a “blatant rip-off” of Better Half, a 2023 independent feature written and directed by Patrick Henry Phelan.
According to the complaint, Together closely mirrors the central concept of Better Half, in which a man and woman find themselves physically fused together following a one-night stand. StudioFest alleges that the similarities go beyond basic premise, citing nearly identical sequences and themes, including a “near verbatim” quote from Plato’s Symposium, scenes involving desperate separation attempts, and an ending involving the Spice Girls’ Spiceworld album.
The lawsuit claims that Brie and Franco were pitched Better Half in 2020 by WME, their talent agency, but turned it down. StudioFest asserts that the couple, along with their agency, later pursued the concept independently with another writer. “They wanted to produce the film themselves and have WME package the project,” the complaint alleges.
Producers Jess Jacklin and Charles Beale reportedly discovered Together the day before its Sundance premiere. After attending the screening, they said they were “stunned” by the resemblance. “Scene after scene confirmed that Defendants did not simply take ‘stock ideas’… but stole virtually every unique aspect of Better Half’s copyrightable expression,” the filing states.
Named defendants include Brie, Franco, WME, writer-director Michael Shanks, and distributor Neon. In a statement, WME dismissed the lawsuit as “frivolous and without merit,” adding that they intend to “vigorously defend” against the claims.
Together is set for theatrical release on August 1.
Published – May 14, 2025 12:29 pm IST