Director of ‘Together’ responds to “devastating” plagiarism allegations
Michael Shanks, the director of the upcoming body horror film Together starring Dave Franco and Alison Brie, has released a statement following plagiarism allegations surrounding the project.
In May, Franco, Brie, and Shanks were named defendants in a lawsuit alleging copyright infringement. The lawsuit alleged Together is a “blatant rip-off” of Better Half, a 2023 independent movie written and directed by Patrick Henry Phelan.
According to the filing, the script for Better Half was pitched to Franco and Brie in August 2020. They were approached for the lead roles. It’s alleged that Brie and Franco rejected the offer because “they wanted to produce the film themselves and have WME package the project with one of the agency’s own writers.”
Production and distribution company Neon, who have also been named defendants in the suit, have now posted a statement on X, directly from Shanks. In a nod to the thematic heart of the movie, whereby a toxic couple begin to fuse together, the post begins, “Have you ever been in a relationship so long that the line between you and the other person starts to blur?”
It then explains that Shanks’ 16-year relationship with his partner and their “entanglement of identity, love and co-dependence” which directly inspired the movie. He continues, “It’s not just a script; it’s a reflection of something deeply personal. Tim’s story, his love for Millie, his relationship to his family, his relationship to unfulfilled ambitions as a musician, is completely rooted in my own personal life.”
Even Shanks’ struggle with grief, after losing his father at a young age, seeps through to the main character. He continues, “To have this called into question is not only deeply upsetting but entirely untrue.”
Shanks then goes on to begrudgingly clarify dates. He writes, “I completed the first draft in 2019 and registered it to the Writer’s Guild of America that same year. In October 2022, I received development funding from Screen Australia to further the project. In 2022, my agent at WME introduced me to Dave Franco.” The director says they bonded over a shared love of horror, and after Shanks pitched his so far unsuccessful script, he and partner Brie were onboard.
The writer continued, “To now be accused of stealing this story—one so deeply based on my own lived experience, on I’ve developed over the course of several years—is devastating and has taken a heavy toll. The suggestion not only undermines the work but also attempts to erase the emotional and professional journey I’ve taken to bring it to life.”
Shanks concluded, “The facts matter. The timeline is documented. The drafts, submissions, and correspondence are all there.” Still, Shanks can acknowledge that “to make this independent film was an absolute dream come true that required years of hard work and no shortage of luck. It’s been the most insane whirlwind of good fortune to have collaborated with so many amazing artists to make this film a reality and I’m so excited to share it with the world later this year.”
Together will hit cinemas in the US on July 30th, and in the UK on August 21st.
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