While Julie Taymor isn’t leaving Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark as previously rumored, she’s definitely not running the show anymore. The producers finally announced last night that Boy From Oz director Phillip William McKinley would be “joining the creative team.” “Julie Taymor is not leaving the creative team,” they swore. “Her vision has been at the heart of this production since its inception and will continue to be so. Julie’s previous commitments mean that past March 15th, she cannot work the 24/7 necessary to make the changes in the production in order to be ready for our opening.”
Despite the PR phrasing, friends of Taymor claim she’s being pushed aside after she declined suggests from the show’s songwriters Bono & The Edge, which could explain why she had no comment while Bono says “All of us on the creative team are committed to taking Spider-Man to the next level…we are confident it will reach its full potential.” The show is now scheduled to open early Summer 2011, and it’s hard to imagine they’ll take any longer—not when the new Spider-Man movie is due July 2012. Considering how many millions have already been spent getting the show to its current level (not to mention nine years of planning), how much will Bono and McKinley have to get it towards the “next level” in three months?
[Photo: Getty Images]
