SPIDER-MAN...the nail in the coffin? Taymor takes script- Page 3

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 10:36am

Speaking of Merrick, I'm sure he's looking down from wherever he is in sad, slack-jawed amazement, shaking his head slowly.

[madlibrarian]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 7:02pm

Merrick may be looking UP.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 7:03pm

No way. I'm sure he swindled his way into heaven somehow.

[marknyc]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 7:06pm

"ggersten, the producers do NOT own the script. It belongs to Taymor and Glen Berger and either one of them is completely within their contractual rights to withdraw their work. That's a standard part of the Dramatist's Guild contract."

That's not true. If she signed a DG contract, the producers own the script. They can't make changes without her permission, but they own it. In this case, it looks like there is no contract, so since she is listed as co-author, she has a case that it is her property. It could lead to a nasty court battle, of course - which the producers want to avoid.

[rentfan2]

Posted: 3/13/11 at 8:06pm

Honestly, if they loose Arachne, then the show becomes alot less creative, and basically turns into the first spiderman movie with music

[Fosse76]

Posted: 3/14/11 at 3:00pm

I'm not familiar enough with guild rules regarding book writers. However, my understanding is that Julie Taymor was hired to write the book and direct the musical. As such, under basic contract law, she technically has no ownership in the product. It was a work-for-hire. Whoever owns the stage rights to this mess owns the script as well. That said, there are probably spearate guidelines in all the guild and union contracts that specify the rights and responsibilities of the bookwriter, so she may have some options. However, I doubt she can take the script with her (though from what I gather that wouldn't be a bad thing).

[willheim2]

Posted: 3/14/11 at 7:25pm

yeh, i think you aree right, i have been doing contracts for my music scorees for twenty years and they are all the same, whether universal, sony or warner brothers, etc.

i get my share of e performance royalties, but it is a work for hire, they own the copyright, though i am the author of the copyrighted work, they retian the rights and can do what they want with it.

however they use it, i still get my share of the royalties.