Broadway's Spider-Man lawsuits settled
CBC News
Posted: Aug 31, 2012 12:45 PM ET
Last Updated: Aug 31, 2012 2:18 PM ET
Julie Taymor and the producers of Broadway musical Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark have reached a deal in their long-running legal dispute. (Charles Sykes/Associated Press)
A settlement has been reached in the long-running legal dispute between Julie Taymor, the former director of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and the producers of the Broadway musical.
A federal district court judge announced a deal had been reached on Thursday, but no terms were released.
Taymor, who won a Tony Award for directing The Lion King, was fired from the Broadway production in March 2011 after the ill-fated show was plagued by a series of technical problems that delayed its opening.
Canadian producer Michael Cohl and fellow producer Jeremiah J. Harris stepped in with a new scriptwriter and redid the staging, reopening the show in May. Taymor’s name was taken off the credits.
She sued in November, asking for $75 million US for breach of contract, including the loss of her royalties from the production. She had written part of the storyline.
Taymor, director of films such as Across the Universe and The Tempest, also made a claim for the damage to her reputation, saying producers had "launched a full-scale attack… aimed at assassinating her character and seeking to hold her singly responsible —financially and reputationally — for the musical's problems."
Cohl and Harris countersued, saying she failed to do the job she was hired to do and was not entitled to royalties.
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark continues to run on Broadway, though it is not known if it has recouped its estimated $75-million US cost of production.
Press representatives for the producers and for Taymor declined comment on the settlement. However, the story may not be over – the case could be reopened within two months if the agreement breaks down.
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