On May 13, production, financing and distribution company Studiofest filed a copyright lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleging that Alison Brie and Dave Franco turned down an offer to star in the studio’s film “Better Half” and then developed their own concept for a body film based on a co-dependent relationship, “Trady”, with WMe.
Now, “Together” director Michael Shanks is firing back in a statement released on the X and Instagram accounts of the film’s distributor, Neon, which bought the completed feature for $17 million out of Sundance earlier this year, the festival’s biggest deal. The film had opened to raves, with its stark insights into what it means to be in a long-term relationship in some form, then translated into gruesome body horror visuals. Franco’s Tim and Brie Millie have been together for years, and at the moment their relationship seems to have hit the rocks, something is causing them to start literally coming together — to be unable to leave each other’s presence.
Shanks called the idea theft accusation “totally false,” “devastating” and “taking a heavy toll” on his remarks that exposed his long relationship with the story. WME previously told Indiewire that the lawsuit was “frivolous and without merit” and that the agency would “defend itself vigorously.”
“Have you ever been in a relationship for so long that the line between you and the other person starts to blur?” Shanks said to begin her statement. “I’ve been with my partner for over 16 years—almost half my life. This tangle of identity, love, and codependency is what inspired us together. It’s not just a script; it’s a reflection of something deeply personal. Tim’s story, his love, his own life, his own life. The trauma is rooted in mine.”
“I wish I didn’t have to clarify this, but I completed the first draft in 2019 and registered it with the Writers Guild of America that same year. In October 2020, I received development funding from Screen Australia to further the project. In 2022, my horror agent pitched me and, in that case, Scelt Him. Soon after, he and Alison Brie came on board to star and produce the film.
