‘Spider-Man’ producers countersue Julie Taymor
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The fight between Julie Taymor and the producers of ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ is getting uglier. On Tuesday, producers said they have filed a countersuit in federal court against the director, accusing her of failing to fulfill her contractual obligations on the Broadway musical.
The producers said in a release that Taymor refused on a number of occasions to collaborate on changes to the show with other members of the production team. ‘The show is a success despite Taymor, not because of her,’ said the claim.
Last year, Taymor sued the producers, claiming that her creative rights were violated and that she wasn’t compensated for her work. Taymor was fired as director of the musical in March following scathing reviews and a number of technical mishaps during the show’s preview period.
Taymor was replaced by Philip William McKinley in the director’s seat. The book for the musical, which Taymor wrote with Glen Berger, received an overhaul by playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who worked with Berger. The revised musical officially opened in New York in June.
Producers are claiming that the delays and increased expenses were due to Taymor. They also claim that Taymor’s suit is ‘baseless’ and that the current version of the show is significantly different from her version. The countersuit is being filed against Taymor and her company, LOH.
[Updated at 3:21 p.m.]: A lawyer representing Taymor issued the following statement on Tuesday:
‘The defendants’ counterclaims against Ms. Taymor are baseless, though not surprising given their previous treatment of her. In her lawsuit, Ms. Taymor will continue to vigorously seek enforcement of her creative rights and will respond to the defendants’ counterclaims as well as their outrageous mischaracterizations and attempts to besmirch her reputation.’ RELATED:
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-- David Ng
