The Satanic Temple and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina settle lawsuit
David Farnor | On 23, Nov 2018
The Satanic Temple and Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina have settled their lawsuit.
The unlikely dispute arose shortly following the series, based on the Archie Comics, debuted on Netflix last month. Reimagining Sabrina the teenage witch’s origin and adventures as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in the occult, the show finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.
Trafficking in the occult, though, is no game: Netflix and Warner Bros. soon found themselves facing a $50 milllion lawsuit over claims that they had copied The Satanic Temple’s design for a statue of goat deity Baphomet. The statue, which appears multiple times in the series, was allegedly similar to theirs, prompting the movement’s co-founder, Lucien Greaves, to file the claim.
The group argued that the series “dilutes and denigrates” The Satanic Template, which works to “encourage benevolence and empathy”, with its members allegedly being associated with “evil antagonists” and “asinine Satanic Panic fiction”.
Now, Greaves says the lawsuit has been “amicably” settled.
“The unique elements of the Satanic Temple’s Baphomet statue have been acknowledged in the credits of episodes which have already been filmed,” The Satanic Temple explained in a statement. “The remaining terms of the settlement are subject to a confidentiality agreement.”
“So ends one of the most overpublicized of copyright claims. Press can now stop pretending this was unique & momentous, or even interesting,” Greaves wrote on Twitter.
So ends one of the most overpublicized of copyright claims. Press can now stop pretending this was unique & momentous, or even interesting. So, too, hopefully ends the parade of stupidity from online amateur legal experts.https://t.co/eSg1fl3sdv
— Lucien Greaves (@LucienGreaves) November 21, 2018
The Satanic Temple sues Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
9th November 2018
The Satanic Temple is suing the makers of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Netflix’s series, based on the Archie Comics, reimagines Sabrina the teenage witch’s origin and adventures as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. The show finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.
Describing itself as “tonally in the vein of Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist”, the show has already shocked fans of the 90s incarnation of Sabrina, with a much darker take on the character and the surrounding mythology. In fact, it turns out the show is so dark that The Satanic Temple activist group is now taking the programme to court.
Founded in 2012, the group aims to separate church and state, with Satan hailed as the symbol of “opposition to arbitrary authority”. It currently has 15 official chapters across the USA. While it does not believe in the supernatural figure, The Satanic Temple works to “encourage benevolence and empathy”. Part of its work saw the group create a statue of goat deity Baphomet, to complement and contrast a Ten Commandments monument in Oklahoma City. Speaking to CNBC, co-founder Lucien Greaves explained that Baphomet has since come to represent the group as a people.
Now, the Temple is suing Chilling Adventures of Sabrina because it has allegedly copied their statue for its own prop iconography. The statue “dilutes and denigrates” The Satanic Template, Greaves, has claimed, arguing that its members are now being associated with “evil antagonists” and “asinine Satanic Panic fiction”, thanks to the series’ depiction of those who worship the Dark Lord as practising cannibalism, among other traits and rituals.
For “appropriating our copyright monument design”, The Satanic Temple is suing the makers of Netflix’s series for $50 million.
You can decide for yourself on the similarity:
For purposes of comparison… pic.twitter.com/AZJvmq1Cks
— Lucien Greaves (@LucienGreaves) October 30, 2018
All episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are available on Netflix UK now. Read our review of Season 1 here.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: Season 1 is available on Netflix UK, as part of an £9.99 monthly subscription.