Netflix’s mega-hit shark movie Under Paris is in hot water, according to Deadline. French director Vincent Dietschy’s court case over the movie continues after suffering a recent setback.
The shark movie, which has had over 85 million viewers since its early June release, ranks as Netflix’s most-watched French feature ever. The problem is that Dietschy has accused the film of being a rip-off of his original concept. Dietschy filed a lawsuit against the film’s producers and agent for plagiarism earlier this year. He alleges they stole his idea without permission or compensation.
Dietschy recently sought to have Under Paris removed from Netflix while the case progressed. However, a Paris court recently rejected this request due to a technicality. The lawsuit paperwork named the wrong Netflix entity—the French arm instead of the Netherlands-based international headquarters. While the takedown request was denied, the core lawsuit remains ongoing. The next court hearing is expected in September.
Dietschy’s lawyers argue this ruling is problematic. Suing the international entity of Netflix would require translating documents into Dutch and navigating a foreign legal system, creating a significant financial burden for Dietschy. They believe this decision disadvantages independent creators facing powerful international companies.
Both movie producers named in the suit, Edouard Duprey and Sébastien Auscher, have vehemently denied the accusations. They told Deadline in May that they had never heard of Dietschy’s project until being contacted by his lawyer last year. Reportedly, they are countersuing the director for defamation and damages.
Vincent Dietschy’s film credits include Notre Histoire, I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere, and the French thriller Qui a tué Bambi?
Netflix has yet to comment on the latest development. Whether the court will ultimately find plagiarism and whether Under Paris, which we called “a killer movie” in our review, will remain on Netflix is unknown. All we can say is watch it while you can. We’ll keep you posted.
