Julie Taymor Sues Producers of ‘Spider-Man’ Musical
Julie Taymor, the mastermind of the original version of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, has sued the musical’s producers with the claim that her creative rights were violated and that she was not properly compensated for her work following her dismissal from the show in March.
Taymor’s lawsuit, which was filed in New York yesterday, asserts that she is entitled to profits from the show on the claim that it was largely her creation. Though Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has been substantially revamped since her departure, the director’s suit claims that the show’s current book is nevertheless “copied and derived from Taymor’s copyrighted 2004 treatment and her original book.” Taymor is seeking a permanent injunction barring the show from using her copyrighted elements without compensation and over $1 million in damages.
Since Taymor’s departure from the show, she was replaced as director by Philip William McKinley and U2‘s Bono and the Edge took greater creative control of the musical. Playwright and occasional comic book writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was hired to revise Taymor’s book in order to make the show more streamlined and accessible. The original version of the show as written and directed by Taymor received negative reviews across the board, though ticket sales for the musical have been consistently strong since it was in previews earlier this year.
Related:
• ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ Reboot Escapes the Train-Wreck
• Video: ‘Spider-Man’ Stars Reeve Carney and Jennifer Damiano On Rebooting the Show
• Bono and the Edge Reboot Spider-Man
• Album Review: Music from ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’