Julie Taymor suing ‘Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark’ producers for using her creative contributions

Julie Taymor, the original director and creative force behind the Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark Broadway show, is suing the musical’s producers for continuing to use her creative input and contributions without paying her. Taymor was fired in March after the show was previewed to bad critical responses and several injuries to cast members.

Taymor, who is also the co-author of the book, and her attorneys, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Her attorneys said, “The producers' actions have left her no choice but to resort to legal recourse to protect her rights."

While Turn off the Dark has been substantially changed since Taymor left, the new book is "copied and derived from Taymor's copyrighted 2004 treatment and her original book,” according to the lawsuit, The Rolling Stone reported.

Turn off the Dark features music and lyrics by U2’s Bono and The Edge with a book by Taymor, Glen Berger and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The musical set the record for the most expensive Broadway show ever at $75 million and for the most previews before an official opening. The producers previewed the show for 182 performances to work out the kinks. Although it received consistently poor revues, it continues to play before a near-capacity audiences.