Apple sues film from Ukraine
Apple sees danger for its own image in the film "Apple Man". It's just a shame that the Ukrainian film is about the fruit "apple", not the brand.
Apple is suing Ukrainian filmmaker Vasyl Moskalenko. The reason is Vasyl's film "Apple Man". The technology company does not like the film at all. In a 460-page document, Apple is suing in court, claiming that the film could create the impression that the technology company is "associated with, approves of, supports or provides" the film.
Apple Man: The superhero who makes apples float
The movie "Apple Man" is a satire of the superhero movies that currently dominate cinema. Unlike Superman, who actually has useful superpowers, Apple Man can only make apples float. When the villain Dr. Burger Man comes on the scene, Apple Man has to get his fellow heroes to save the world with him.
The trailer was drawn by Vasyl in his apartment during the lockdown recorded in the wake of the Corona pandemic. He himself played several roles, there were only two people on the set. He found the idea of Apple Man, the "superhero for a healthy diet," so funny that he launched a Kickstarter campaign without much expectation. This went viral and in the end 218 people from all over the world invested 101 717 US dollars in the production of the entire film.
Pictures from the shoot show car chases with a Bentley, a superheroine named Cherry Girl and a super dog (a Samoyed) called Super Carrot Dog.
The plot: Apple Man is a superhero who has turned his back on humanity. He's an army experiment, he's been fighting and he's out of it. But when Dr. Burger Man wants to make humanity unhealthy, the government has to reactivate Apple Man. Because "An apple a day keeps doomsday away".
Vasyl speaks out publicly
Vasyl doesn't understand the lawsuit. That's because there is no mention of smartphones, PCs, notebooks or tablets in the entire script. "This film is about the most popular fruit in the world: apples," Vasyl says.
Still, the filmmaker respects the Apple brand. Images from the set show him bending over his Macbook. "Apple's devices allow us to take our craft to the next level," says the director and actor.
As a result, he repeatedly asserts that the technology company would suffer no disadvantage if they allowed the film to be made. He also says he would be happy to provide Apple with a finished cut of his film before its release. This way, he said, the brand could be sure that the company would not get any negative publicity or unwanted product placement.
Vasyl now fears that the entire production budget will have to be spent on legal costs, he tells iPhone in Canada magazine.
He suspects it's trademark bullying, but still hopes the lawsuit is a misunderstanding. "I'm open to negotiation and hope we can sort out the conflict."
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.