'Together' Faces $17M Copyright Suit After Sundance Debut

Alison Brie, Dave Franco, director Michael Shanks, WME, and distributor Neon are being sued for $17 million by StudioFest over alleged copyright infringement concerning their upcoming film 'Together.' StudioFest claims that Brie and Franco were offered the lead roles in StudioFest's 2023 film 'Better Half' in 2020, received the film's script through their agents at WME, and later collaborated with Shanks to produce 'Together,' which shares a strikingly similar premise and scenes. The lawsuit alleges that both films center on a couple who wake up physically fused together as a metaphor for codependency, with overlapping plot points and even specific dialogue, notably referencing Plato’s Symposium. StudioFest states their worst fears were confirmed after seeing 'Together' debut to acclaim at Sundance, with Neon planning an August release. The defendants, including WME, have dismissed the claims as 'frivolous and without merit' and intend to defend themselves vigorously. The case underscores ongoing disputes in Hollywood over copyright and creative ownership.