After all its troubles Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark has proved a big hit
2:18pm UK, Wednesday January 18, 2012
The legal saga over Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is developing into quite the tangled web as the producers countersue its former director.
Ousted Spider-Man director Julie Taymor is being counter-sued by the producers of the problem-plagued production, after Taymor filed a law suit late last year, seeking full payment for her work on the musical.
In the counter claim, the musical's producers claim that the director refused "to fulfil her contractual obligations, declaring that she could not and would not do the jobs that she was contracted to do, thereby causing significant unnecessary expense, delay and other harm to the counter claim plaintiffs".
It is alleged that Julie Taymor 'refused to fulfil her contractual obligations'
The countersuit claims she did not develop a family-friendly stage version of the Spider-Man saga and instead "insisted on a dark, disjointed and hallucinogenic musical involving suicide, sex and death".
It goes on to allege that, though Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was intended to be a commercial endeavour, Taymor stubbornly disregarded concerns about ticket sales or public appeal.
The producers claim her actions "caused numerous delays and cost overruns", forcing them to engage "in superhuman efforts to save the musical, including raising tens of millions of dollars - much of it their own - to fund the ever-increasing costs of the production".
And when it became clear that the musical continued to have problems, including a confusing storyline and the lack of an ending, Taymor refused to collaborate with the producers and listen to proposed changes, the claim charges.
The producers argue that the musical succeeded despite Taymor, not because of her, and that their efforts are the only reason that there are profits for the former director to sue for.
"Ironically, it is because the musical is a success and did not close in March 2011 that Taymor is now belatedly seeking to compel payment," the lawsuit claims.
Alleging that Taymor breached her contractual duty as a collaborator on the musical and the co-author of the musical's book, the producers are seeking unspecified damages, plus costs and attorney's fees.
They are also asking for a permanent injunction forcing her to cancel her copyright claim on the original book for the series.
Taymor was forced to leave the production in March 2011 after a host of injuries and other problems forced the musical's production back.
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