Production company StudioFest LLC has sued William Morris Endeavor, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, and screenwriter Michael Shanks, accusing them of copying the screenplay for its 2023 film “Better Half” to create the 2025 body-horror hit “Together.”

The case is notable because a federal judge has already rejected the defendants’ bid to dismiss the claims, and because distributor Neon reportedly paid $17 million to acquire “Together” after its Sundance debut, raising the financial stakes tied to the dispute.

This case fits into a recurring pattern in Hollywood litigation, where writers and production companies accuse studios of “idea theft” after a script was pitched and passed on, only for a strikingly similar project to later emerge.

Here’s a detail that stands out: according to the complaint, both films include a nearly identical scene involving a Spice Girls vinyl record, a detail StudioFest’s attorney called part of similarities that “defy any innocent explanation.”

Quick Facts

Plaintiff	StudioFest LLC
Defendant	William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC (WME), Dave Franco, Alison Brie, and Michael Shanks
Court	U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Case No. 2:25-cv-04294-JLS-SK
Case Type	Individual civil lawsuit (copyright infringement) — not a class action
Core Allegation	“Together” allegedly copied protected creative elements from StudioFest’s film “Better Half,” including plot, themes, characters, and specific scenes
Filing Date	May 13, 2025

What Is the Together Movie Lawsuit About?

The Together movie lawsuit centers on a copyright infringement claim brought by StudioFest LLC, the production company behind the 2023 film “Better Half,” against the makers of the 2025 horror film “Together.”

Both films share a central premise: a couple wakes up to find their bodies physically fused together, used as a metaphor for codependency in a relationship. StudioFest alleges this shared premise, combined with a series of specific matching scenes and details, shows “Together” was copied from “Better Half” rather than independently created.

Key Takeaway: This is a copyright dispute between a production company and a group of individual and corporate defendants — there’s no class action, settlement fund, or public compensation process involved.

Who Are the Parties Involved?

The lawsuit brings together several well-known names from the film industry on opposite sides of the case.

• StudioFest LLC: The plaintiff, a production company that financed and owns the rights to “Better Half,” a 2023 film with a similar central premise.
• William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC (WME): The talent agency named as a defendant, accused of facilitating the alleged copying after passing on “Better Half” for its clients.
• Dave Franco and Alison Brie: The actor-producer couple named as defendants, who were originally approached to star in “Better Half” before “Together” was made.
• Michael Shanks: The writer and director of “Together,” also named as a defendant.
• Neon: The distributor that acquired “Together” following its Sundance debut, mentioned in coverage of the case though its specific defendant status has varied across reporting.

Key Takeaway: The lawsuit doesn’t just target the writer of “Together” — it also names the actors who were reportedly first offered the competing project and the talent agency that represented multiple parties involved.

Timeline: How the Together Movie Lawsuit Dispute Started

The dispute traces back several years before “Together” was ever produced.

• 2019: According to the defense, “Together” screenwriter Michael Shanks completed a draft of his script and registered it with the Writers Guild of America (WGA).
• August 2020: A casting director for “Better Half” sent the script and a synopsis to Dave Franco and Alison Brie’s agents at WME, reportedly offering them the lead roles for around $20,000.
• Following the offer: Franco and Brie’s team allegedly declined the offer, with StudioFest’s complaint alleging they wanted to produce a similar film themselves rather than star in “Better Half.”
• 2023: StudioFest’s film “Better Half” is released.
• 2025: “Together,” starring Franco and Brie and written and directed by Michael Shanks, debuts at Sundance and is acquired by distributor Neon for a reported $17 million.
• May 13, 2025: StudioFest files its copyright infringement lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
• February 20, 2026: The court denies the defendants’ motion to dismiss, allowing the case to proceed.

Key Takeaway: The core factual dispute in the case is a timeline question — whether Shanks’s script predates and was created independently of the “Better Half” pitch, or whether “Together” was shaped by exposure to StudioFest’s earlier work.

Key Allegations Explained

StudioFest’s complaint lists a series of specific similarities it argues go beyond coincidence.

• Both films center on a couple whose bodies become physically fused together, used as a metaphor for codependency.
• The complaint alleges a nearly identical scene involving a Spice Girls vinyl record in both films.
• StudioFest alleges matching character professions between the two films, including a teacher and a punk artist.
• The complaint describes nearly identical bathroom scenes in which the couple attempts to hide their physical condition.
• StudioFest alleges “Together” includes a near-verbatim reference to Plato’s Symposium also found in “Better Half.”

Key Takeaway: StudioFest’s case relies heavily on the cumulative weight of specific, granular similarities rather than just the shared broad concept of body-fusion horror, which matters because broad ideas alone generally aren’t protected by copyright law.

Legal Claims Being Made

StudioFest’s lawsuit is built around a single central legal theory.

• Copyright infringement, alleging “Together” copies protectable creative expression from “Better Half,” including plot, themes, characters, dialogue, mood, setting, pacing, and sequence of events.

Key Takeaway: Because copyright law protects specific creative expression rather than general ideas, much of this case will likely turn on whether the shared elements StudioFest points to are similar enough in their specific execution, not just their broad concept.

What StudioFest Is Seeking in Damages

StudioFest’s complaint seeks damages, disgorgement of the defendants’ profits connected to “Together,” attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief. A specific dollar amount sought has not been publicly disclosed in available reporting.

Distributor Neon’s reported $17 million acquisition price for “Together” is a detail from press coverage of the film’s Sundance sale, not a confirmed damages figure sought in the lawsuit, though it illustrates the scale of profits potentially at issue if StudioFest were to succeed on its disgorgement claim.

Key Takeaway: Don’t confuse the film’s reported $17 million distribution deal with StudioFest’s actual damages demand — the complaint does not appear to specify an exact dollar figure in public reporting.

The Defendants’ Response and Denials

WME has publicly called the lawsuit “frivolous and without merit,” stating the company plans to “vigorously defend” itself.

The defense’s central argument focuses on timing: attorneys for Franco, Brie, and Shanks argue that Shanks completed most of his “Together” script and registered it with the WGA in 2019, a year before “Better Half” was ever pitched to Franco and Brie’s agents, which they argue undercuts any claim that “Together” was copied from StudioFest’s later work.

Key Takeaway: The defense isn’t arguing the films aren’t similar — it’s arguing the timeline makes copying impossible, since Shanks’s script reportedly predates the defendants’ exposure to “Better Half.”

Court and Case Details

The Together movie lawsuit is proceeding in federal court in California.

• Case Name: StudioFest LLC v. William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, LLC, et al.
• Case Number: 2:25-cv-04294-JLS-SK
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
• Filing Date: May 13, 2025

Key Takeaway: This is a federal copyright case, which means it will likely proceed under the specific legal tests federal courts use to compare creative works, including both an “extrinsic” test comparing objective similarities and an “intrinsic” test focused on a jury’s subjective impression.

Current Legal Status and Latest Update 2026

As of this writing, the Together movie lawsuit remains actively pending following a significant ruling in early 2026.

• On February 20, 2026, the court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss, finding that StudioFest had “plausibly alleged” substantial similarities in plot, sequence of events, and theme sufficient to let the copyright claims proceed.
• All claims against Franco and Brie reportedly survived the dismissal motion.
• The case is now expected to move into discovery, with both sides likely examining screenplay drafts, development timelines, and internal communications to establish whether “Together” was independently created or copied.

Key Takeaway: Surviving a motion to dismiss doesn’t mean StudioFest has won — it means the court found the allegations plausible enough to proceed to the fact-finding stage, where the real evidence will be tested.

What Could Happen Next in the Together Movie Lawsuit

With the motion to dismiss resolved, the case is expected to move through several further stages.

1. Discovery, where both sides exchange screenplay drafts, WGA registration records, emails, and other documentation relevant to independent creation versus copying.
2. Possible expert analysis comparing the two screenplays under the “extrinsic test,” which examines objective similarities in plot, structure, and other elements.
3. A potential motion for summary judgment, where either side could ask the court to rule without a full trial if the evidence clearly favors one side.
4. If the case isn’t resolved by summary judgment or settlement, it could proceed to trial, where a jury would apply the more subjective “intrinsic test” to determine infringement.

Key Takeaway: Copyright cases like this one often hinge heavily on discovery evidence, particularly dated drafts and internal communications, making the next several months of fact-finding critical to how the case ultimately resolves.

Similar or Related Cases for Context

The Together lawsuit fits a familiar pattern in entertainment litigation, where a writer or production company pitches a project to talent or an agency, gets passed on, and later sues after a similar project reaches screens with different creative partners attached.

For broader context on how idea-theft and screenplay copyright disputes typically unfold in the entertainment industry, see our related coverage of other Hollywood copyright infringement lawsuits involving major studios and talent agencies.

Key Takeaway: Cases like this one are historically difficult for plaintiffs to win outright, since courts require more than a shared general concept — but they can still result in significant settlements once they survive early dismissal attempts, as this one has.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Together movie lawsuit about?

The Together movie lawsuit is a copyright infringement case filed by StudioFest LLC against WME, Dave Franco, Alison Brie, and screenwriter Michael Shanks. StudioFest alleges the 2025 film “Together” copied protected creative elements from its 2023 film “Better Half,” including the central body-fusion premise, specific scenes, and character details. The case was filed May 13, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and remains pending.

Who is involved in the Together movie lawsuit?

The plaintiff is StudioFest LLC, the production company behind “Better Half.” The defendants include William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME), actors Dave Franco and Alison Brie, and “Together” writer-director Michael Shanks. Franco and Brie were reportedly first offered lead roles in “Better Half” in 2020 before later starring in “Together,” a connection central to StudioFest’s allegations.

What is StudioFest seeking in damages?

StudioFest’s complaint seeks damages, disgorgement of profits tied to “Together,” attorneys’ fees, and injunctive relief, though a specific dollar amount has not been publicly disclosed. Distributor Neon’s reported $17 million acquisition price for “Together” reflects the film’s sale value, not a confirmed damages figure, though it suggests the potential scale of profits at issue if StudioFest succeeds on its claims.

What happens if the Together movie lawsuit goes to trial?

If the case isn’t resolved through summary judgment or a settlement, it would proceed to trial, where a jury would apply both an “extrinsic test,” comparing objective similarities between the two screenplays, and an “intrinsic test,” based on the jury’s overall impression of similarity. Given that the case survived a motion to dismiss in February 2026, discovery evidence about each script’s development timeline is likely to play a central role in whichever stage resolves the dispute.

What is the current status of the Together movie lawsuit?

As of this writing, the Together movie lawsuit remains pending in the Central District of California after the court denied the defendants’ motion to dismiss on February 20, 2026. The case is expected to proceed into discovery, with no trial date publicly reported yet. All claims against Franco and Brie reportedly survived the dismissal ruling.

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The Bottom Line on the Together Movie Lawsuit

The Together movie lawsuit remains an active, closely watched copyright dispute after clearing an important early hurdle when the court declined to dismiss StudioFest’s claims in February 2026.

Because this is an individual copyright lawsuit rather than a class action, there is no settlement fund or public claims process tied to this case — its outcome will be determined between StudioFest and the named defendants directly.

What’s worth watching going forward:

• Discovery developments regarding the dated WGA registration of Shanks’s “Together” script and any evidence of access to “Better Half.”
• Whether either side files for summary judgment based on the extrinsic test comparing the two screenplays.
• Whether the case settles before reaching trial, a common outcome in entertainment copyright disputes once they survive early dismissal.

Readers following this case should rely on official court filings and established entertainment and legal news outlets for updates, since the next major developments will likely emerge from the discovery process rather than further public statements.

• Bloomberg Law, “Dave Franco, Alison Brie Can’t Avoid Copyright Suit Over Film”
• Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal, “The Together Lawsuit: What Will Matter After the Motion to Dismiss”
• The Hollywood Reporter, “Dave Franco, Alison Brie, WME Hit With Idea Theft Lawsuit Over ‘Together'”
• Variety, “Alison Brie and Dave Franco Face Lawsuit Over Sundance Hit ‘Together'”
• Variety, “Dave Franco, Alison Brie’s ‘Together’ Lawyer Slams Plagiarism Suit”
• IndieWire, “‘Together’ Hit with Copyright Lawsuit: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, WME”

Sources

• Bloomberg Law, “Dave Franco, Alison Brie Can’t Avoid Copyright Suit Over Film”
• Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal, “The Together Lawsuit: What Will Matter After the Motion to Dismiss”
• The Hollywood Reporter, “Dave Franco, Alison Brie, WME Hit With Idea Theft Lawsuit Over ‘Together'”
• Variety, “Alison Brie and Dave Franco Face Lawsuit Over Sundance Hit ‘Together'”
• Variety, “Dave Franco, Alison Brie’s ‘Together’ Lawyer Slams Plagiarism Suit”
• IndieWire, “‘Together’ Hit with Copyright Lawsuit: Dave Franco, Alison Brie, WME”