New Dave Franco Horror Movie Continues to Crush It on Rotten Tomatoes Despite Intense Legal Battle

Metaphorical horror films have become all the rage in recent years, but what makes Together so fun is the connection between its two actors. Starring real-life married couple Alison Brie and Dave Franco, the Neon film centers around two co-dependent spouses and has amassed a certified fresh rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers have been clamoring for the film, despite the incredibly public legal battle Together is currently undergoing.

Franco and Brie have both been sued for copyright infringement regarding the independent film entitled Better Half. The 2023 movie was written and directed by Patrick Henry Phelan and follows two characters after a one-night stand who discover their bodies have been bonded together. The statement for the suit is as follows:

“Together is a blatant rip-off of Better Half. Both works center around a couple who wake up to find their bodies physically fused together as a metaphor for codependency. The similarities do not end there. Defendants lifted wholesale creative elements, including but not limited to plot, themes, characters, dialogue, mood, setting, pace, and sequence of events.”

The elements of Together differ slightly as it follows a married couple who, after an argument, find their bodies have become joined together, forcing them to confront their issues. Despite the slight differences, the suit has gone on to explain further evidence supporting their claim.

‘Together’ Creatives Have Responded to the Suit

The lawsuit has detailed other evidence that supports the alleged claims. The filing claimed that Better Half was allegedly pitched to Dave Franco and Alison Brie, hoping to cast them in the leading roles. The suit continued to allege that the couple rejected the pitch, stating: “They wanted to produce the film themselves and have WME package the project with one of the agency’s own writers.” Director Michael Shanks defended his film against the lawsuit in a separate statement, adding more intrigue to the chain of events.

“I wish I didn’t have to clarify this, but I completed the first draft in 2019 and registered it to the Writer’s Guild of America that same year. In October 2020, I received development funding from Screen Australia to further the project. In 2022, my agent at WME introduced me to Dave Franco. From our very first meeting, we bonded over our love of horror, and I pitched him ‘Together’ — a script I had been trying to get into production for years, with no luck. Soon after, he and Alison Brie came onboard to act in and produce the film.”

Since these statements were made, this conflict has still not been resolved. However, Together premiered on July 30th with an impressive reaction from viewers. Fans can watch the film for themselves currently in theaters.