The ousted director and co-author of the Spidey comics-adapted musical reached an undisclosed settlement with the producers on Wednesday, April 10.
- Apr 11, 2013
AceShowbiz - After more than a year tussling for artistic credit, profits and copyrights, ex-director and co-author of Broadway's "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" Julie Taymor and the musical's producers have finally managed to reach a settlement. Releasing a statement on Wednesday, April 10, both sides said that they ended the dispute "by mutual agreement of all the parties."
"I'm pleased to have reached an agreement and hope for the continued success of 'Spider-Man', both on Broadway and beyond," said Taymor. Similarly, producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah Harris were "happy to put all this behind." The two "are now looking forward to spreading 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' in new and exciting ways around the world."
Writer Glen Berger, who was also involved in the settlement, was glad the problems were all solved. "I am very glad the parties have put the claims behind them," so he said. "I look forward to seeing fruitful work from all those involved."
According to a source close to Taymor, the 60-year-old director will receive a "significant" monetary settlement if "Spider-Man" goes on to wide popularity as part of the deal. Meanwhile, the producers will no longer need her approval of future tours and versions of the superhero musical, which features music by Bono and The Edge of U2.
The Tony-winning director of Broadway's "The Lion King" was fired from the musical shortly after the show's opening in March 2011 because of creative disagreements. The cost of the show is reportedly $75 million, making it the most expensive musical in Broadway history. Even though it got negative reviews, the musical about the origins of Spider-Man has been commercially successful by routinely earning more than $1 million a week.
