Broadway's “Spider-Man” Settles Lawsuit Involving Ex-Director

Julie Taymor and producers of Broadway’s “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” have settled their long-standing dispute over her 2011 dismissal from the pricey, accident-plagued musical, according to a joint statement released by the two parties Wednesday.

The agreement resolves Taymor’s allegations against 8 Legged Productions in connection with her work on the book of the musical -- at $75 million, the most expensive in Broadway history -- with respect to both the current New York staging and any future productions.

Settlement terms weren’t released, though sources close to Taymor told The New York Times that she could reap “significant” income from the deal if “Spider-Man” continues to be a lucrative property. 

In a statement, Taymor said: “I’m pleased to have reached an agreement and hope for the continued success of ‘Spider-Man,’ both on Broadway and beyond.”

Michael Cohl and Jeremiah Harris of 8 Legged Productions said: “We’re happy to put all this behind us.”

Taymor, the musical’s original director, was fired in March 2011 over creative differences during a lengthy period of preview performances. She filed suit against the “Spider-Man” producers in November 2011, claiming they violated her creative rights.

Two months later, producers countersued, claiming that Taymor refused “to fulfill her contractual obligations, declaring that she could not and would not do the jobs that she was contracted to do.” 

Playbill.com offers a complete timeline of the whole tangled web.

In part because of its sophisticated aerial stunts, “Spider-Man” has higher weekly operating costs than most Broadway musicals. With the litigation resolved, producers will have an easier time planning future versions here and abroad.

According to the Times, they’ve been eyeing Las Vegas, London and Hamburg as possible locales.

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