Dave Franco & Alison Brie Sued for Their $17M Sundance Hit Called a "Blatant Ripoff"
Together is a horror film starring Alison Brie and Dave Franco that premiered at Sundance and was acquired by Neon. Its creators have been accused of stealing ideas from another film released in 2023. Here are all the details you need to know.
The comedy body horror film Together by Australian director Michael Shanks was one of the biggest discoveries at Sundance 2025.
Several distributors competed for the film, and the independent company Neon ultimately secured the rights to its release. Neon has a proven track record of successfully promoting horror films. Together is scheduled for release on July 30.
Alison Brie, Dave Franco & Neon Are Sued for Copyright Infringement Over Their Film 'Together'
However, one of the potential hits of the year is now in hot water. The film's stars and producers, Alison Brie and Dave Franco; the director and screenwriter, Michael Shanks; the studio, Neon; and the agency, WME, have been accused of plagiarism.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of StudioFest and its co-founders, claims that the creators of Together stole the idea for the film from Patrick Henry Phelan's movie Better Half released in 2023.
What Do 'Together' and 'Better Half' Have In Common?
In Together, Millie and Tim (played by spouses Brie and Franco) move from the big city to the outback. Millie was offered a job at a local school, so Tim left his career as a musician and his friends behind.
When Millie and Tim end up in a mysterious cave during a walk, something changes in their relationship dynamics. The two are drawn back to each other and lack the strength to end the relationship.
The same thing happens with the main characters of Better Half. There, a romantic who is unsuccessful in finding true love meets a girl who is against commitment. The young people decide to spend the night together, and their bodies literally merge.
Moreover, according to the lawsuit, not only do the two films share the same basic idea, they even share some specific sequences. For instance, in one of the final scenes of both movies, the main characters accept their fate and play the Spice Girls' "Spiceworld" album.
'Better Half' Creators Claim Franco & Brie Got Familiar With Their Movie's Plot Back in 2020
According to The Wrap, the director of Better Half called the “borrowing” of this plot device “a blatant ripoff.” According to him, Brie and Franco have been familiar with his script since August 2020, when the project's casting director sent it to their agents at WME, hoping the couple would sign on for the lead roles.
Ultimately, Alison Brie and Dave Franco turned down the offer because they wanted to produce the film themselves and planned to assign the script to a WME-contracted writer.
Phelan and StudioFest learned that Better Half allegedly formed the basis for Together in January 2025. The horror film premiered at Sundance, where Neon bought the rights for $17 million – the largest deal of the year at the festival.
A WME representative has responded to the lawsuit, calling it “frivolous and without merit” and stating that “the facts in this case are clear.”
'Together' Is Also Similar to Another Sundance Film
Additionally, fans have noticed that Together bears a striking resemblance to the 2023 Sundance short film A Folded Ocean, directed by Benjamin Brewer. Both films tell the story of codependent relationships in which partners merge into one.
Redditor PizzaHutBookItChamp wrote:
“It's wild how much this movie feels like a rip off of a short film that premiered at Sundance two years ago. [...] Feels suspicious considering it was another Sundance premiere from two years ago with a similar premise and similar images.”
Also worthy of note is the fact that one of the frames in A Folded Ocean shows two merging eyes, and a similar shot is used for the Together poster.
