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Producers, ousted director of Broadway's "Spiderman" settle dispute

Director Julie Taymor poses at the premiere of her film ''The Tempest'' in Hollywood December 6, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Fred Prouser

By Jonathan Allen

NEW YORK | Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:52pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The producers of Broadway's "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" have reached a settlement with Julie Taymor, the musical's ousted director and co-author, in a copyright dispute stemming from the show's troubled debut, the parties said on Wednesday.

The terms of the settlement in the long-running dispute were not made public, according to spokesmen for Taymor and the producers.

"Spider-Man," now a hit, got off to a disastrous start in 2010 with actors sustaining injuries during high-wire stunts, repeated delays in having an opening night, and critical ridicule.

The show's producers fired Taymor in March 2011. She had received a Tony Award for best direction of a Musical for her work on "The Lion King" and had worked for years to bring "Spider-Man" to Broadway.

Taymor filed suit in U.S. District Court accusing 8 Legged Productions, the production company of lead producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah Harris, and Glen Berger, her former co-author, of infringing on her copyright by retaining much of her original libretto in what was described as a revamped production following her dismissal.

She sought unpaid royalties and damages that she estimated exceeded $1 million and asked for a permanent injunction preventing the producers from mounting or licensing the musical beyond Broadway without her consent.

The producers countersued, saying her claims were baseless.

The settlement averts a trial, which had been set to begin on May 27.

"All claims between all of the parties in the litigation have been resolved," said Taymor, the producers and Berger in a joint statement.

The show, which includes songs by U2's Bono and The Edge and is the most expensive ever mounted on Broadway, has become a commercial success, routinely earning more than $1 million a week.

"I'm pleased to have reached an agreement and hope for the continued success of Spider-Man, both on Broadway and beyond," Taymor said in the joint statement.

Producers Cohl and Harris said in the statement they were "happy to put all this behind us."

Taymor is now directing Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the inaugural production at Theatre for a New Audience's new premises in Brooklyn, New York, which is due to open in November.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and L Gevirtz)

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Director sells Wategos holiday home

Jenny Rogers   |  10:11am March 27, 2013

Director Mark Lewis, inset, is selling his Wategos holiday home which has stunning views of the area.

THE man behind the 1988 cult documentary that made the noxious and ubiquitous cane toad an unlikely star has placed his Wategos Beach holiday home on the market.

Director Mark Lewis' Cane Toads: An Unnatural History immortalised the pests and was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Short Film.

The sequel, Cane Toads: The Conquest, said to be Australia's first 3D digital film, premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Mr Lewis has travelled the world making films and said he fell in love with Wategos after surfing there years ago.

"I used to look up while I was surfing and say I'd love a house on the hill in that idyllic place," he said.

He and his wife went on to buy an original Wategos Beach house only a short stroll from one of Australia's most iconic beaches.

"It was the beauty of Wategos which attracted us and, through my work, I have travelled to a lot of famous beaches but I still believe it is the best beach in the world bar none," Mr Lewis said.

"We liked that there are no commercial premises other than Rae's guesthouse. It just has the most perfect northeast aspect and is such a short walk to the beach."

Mr Lewis said he was sad to be leaving Wategos but now that his two daughters had left home "for other parts of the world", it was time to downsize.

He and his wife remain Byron Shire residents, with a home near Mullumbimby.

Mr Lewis is working on a new nature-based documentary series focused on domestic animals.

The architect-designed original 1970s two-level property has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two living spaces.

A large deck on the top level captures the northeast views over Wategos Beach.

The house, at 24 Palm Valley Drive, is being marketed by Nicolette van Wijngaarden, of Unique Estates.

The owners are seeking offers above $2.4 million.

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Video: Corvette Stingray taillamps defended by GM design director Tom Peters

There has been no shortage of controversy surrounding the exterior design of the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray since its debut back in January at the Detroit Auto Show. To quell – or possibly stir up – detractors, Autoweek talked to Tom Peters, GM's director of exterior design for performance cars, fullsize trucks and large crossovers, so that he might have a chance to explain/defend the styling of the C7 'Vette, especially when it comes to the car's rump.

In attempting to "create as much newness as possible," Peters says that the squared-off taillights fit the new design better and helped give the new Corvette its own signature styling. In regards to the similarities with the taillights of the Camaro, Peters points out that earlier generations of the two cars shared similarly shaped rear lights in the '60s and early '70s. Around the Autoblog water cooler, some of us think the problem lies not with the taillights but rather with the round exhaust outlets and the tacked-on rear spoiler. Feel free to share your own thoughts in the Comments.

Scroll down to watch Peters talk about just some of what went into redesigning this American icon.

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