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Artist News
Original Spider-man director sues producers
By CMU Editorial | Published on Thursday 10 November 2011
I’ve no desire to ever see the U2-penned ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark’, but when they make the movie about its making, I’ll be there. Actually, apparently a documentary has been made about all of this, so that’s something to look forward to.
Anyway, in the latest chapter in this long saga, Julie Taymor, the Broadway musical’s original director, is suing the show’s producers for a million dollars claiming she is owed money for her work on the production, and that her creative rights have been violated.
As previously reported, Taymor – best known for her work on the ‘Lion King’ stage show – was eased out of her role on the hugely expensive Spiderman-themed musical after various technical problems and a negative critical response during a long drawn out preview period forced a rethink. New director Philip William McKinley stood in during a three week closure of the show and revamped various elements of the production before an eventual official launch in June.
According to the BBC, Taymor’s lawsuit is seeking half of all the profits from the original version of the show, and a permanent ban of her name and likeness being used in connection with the aforementioned ‘Spider-Man’ behind the scenes documentary. A spokesman for the show’s producers said that Taymor had been properly compensated for her work on the project, and that they are glad that “the court system will [now] provide, once and for all, an opportunity to resolve this dispute”.