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Spider-Man musical gets new producers -- and a Peter Parker

Reeve Carney

The creative team behind Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark emerged from today's meeting with an announcement about new producers and official word on the musical's lead actor.

What they didn't reveal, however, was a specific date for the troubled Broadway musical, only saying that it will open in 2010 at the Hilton Theatre in Manhattan. The show, whose proposed budget has ballooned to $52 million, initially was set to bow in late March, but the most recent rumors had it opening past April 29 -- the cutoff for Tony Award nominations.

The creative team confirmed relative newcomer Reeve Carney, long rumored for the role, has been cast as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. The casting initially had been reported this morning in the Los Angeles Times. The 26-year-old Carney, lead singer of the rock band of the same name, also will appear in Spider-Man director Julie Taymor's big-screen adaptation of The Tempest.

In Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Carney joins Evan Rachel Wood as Mary Jane and Alan Cumming as Green Goblin in a production scored by Bono and the Edge.

This afternoon's press release also included the announcement that Michael Cohl has replaced Chicago lawyer David Garfinkle as lead producer, with Jeremiah J. Harris becoming second producer. The full producing team is Cohl, Harris, Hello Entertainment/Garfinkle, Marvel Entertainment/David Maisel, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Future of troubled Spider-Man musical could be set today

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

The fate of the financially troubled Spider-Man Broadway musical could be decided today.

According to published reports, producers of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, whose budget has soared to $52 million, are meeting in Manhattan with director Julie Taymor and other members of the creative team to discuss the cash-flow problems that stalled production for nearly a month and cast doubt on the future of the production.

The musical had been set to preview in late February at a renovated Hilton Theatre, and then open sometime in March. But Patrick Healy of The New York Times writes that Taymor is expected to say rehearsals for the technically complex show won't be able to begin before January, which could push the opening past April 29 -- the cutoff date for Tony Award nominations.

Perhaps of more pressing concern is the $24 million needed to cover a proposed budget that ballooned to $52 million from an estimated $35 million, in part due to theater renovations and restorations. According to the Los Angeles Times, Spider-Man will cost about $1 million a week to produce -- "hundreds of thousands dollars more than what some elaborate shows such as Mary Poppins or West Side Story cost -- and require the 1,700-seat theater to sell out for every show for four years just to break even.

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which boasts a musical score by Bono and the Edge, has cast Evan Rachel Wood as Mary Jane, Alan Cumming as Green Goblin and, apparently, relative newcomer Reeve Carney as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. (Carney, who will appear in Taymor's big-screen adaptation of The Tempest, long had been rumored for the role of Spider-Man but never confirmed.)

However, as the LA Times notes, with production delays the musical risks losing the cast to other projects. Cumming, for instance, was just added to the cast of Burlesque, which begins filming next week.

NOTE: A post detailing the announcements made after the meeting can be found here.

Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes

American Booksellers Association

Retailing | The American Booksellers Association has asked the Department of Justice to investigate the online price war being waged by Wal-Mart, Amazon and Target. The trade group says that by selling advance-order hardcovers at deep discounts the three retail giants are engaging in "illegal predatory pricing" and making it impossible for smaller stores to compete.

Ron Catapano of Ron's Comic World in Mount Holly, New Jersey, asserts that direct-market retailers face a similar scenario: "I hope the comic publishers are paying attention. When the Watchmen movie came out and Amazon was selling the Watchmen trade paperback for less than I could get the book from Diamond Comic Distributors (including shipping cost), I complained and nobody cared. For most discounters, these books are not a significant part of their business, they are just something to make a few extra dollars on." [ICv2.com]

ChuChu

Publishing | Japanese publishing giant Shogakukan plans to close three of its magazines, including the shojo manga monthly ChuChu. The magazine debuted in December 2005 with a print run of 180,000, but more recently sales have hovered around 50,000 copies. [Anime News Network]

Libraries | The New Jersey State Library has awarded $3,000 grants to 14 libraries to help them establish and expand graphic-novel collections. The State Library also conducted workshops about developing collections, and furnished librarians with "a core graphic novel bibliography" to help them with their purchases. [NJ.com]

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Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes

Blackest Night #3

Publishing | Sales of comics to the direct market increased 12 percent in September over the same month last year, lifting the third quarter by 7 percent. Graphic novels, meanwhile, slipped 2 percent in September and 10 percent for the quarter, largely because of the strong performance of Watchmen in 2008.

DC's Blackest Night #3 topped Diamond's comics chart, with sales estimated at 140,786, followed by Marvel's Captain America: Reborn #3 with 108,331. The "Blackest Night" event performed well for DC, with five related titles placing in the Top 10. ICv2.com notes in its analysis that the $3.99 price tag on some of Marvel's comics appears to be having an impact on sales, with the second issues of Ultimate Comics Avengers and Ultimate Comics Spider-Man falling about 15,000 copies each, and Hulk #15 dropping about 18,700 from the previous issue.

The graphic novels list was led by the fifth volume of Dark Horse's Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8, with an estimated 7,225 copies. However, the most interesting entry is probably R. Crumb's The Book of Genesis Illustrated, which charted at No. 28 with some 2,178 copies. [ICv2.com]

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New investors may rescue Spider-Man musical

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

The financially strapped Spider-Man musical may have found new backers to make up for a $10-million shortfall.

Roger Friedman -- you'll remember him for his review of a pirated copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine -- reports that Jim Stern of Endgame Productions may step in to pick up the slack left after producer David Garfinkle ran into money problems a couple of months ago. New Jersey real-estate mogul-turned-movie producer Norton Herrick also could pitch in.

"Cash-flow obstacles" caused preparation work on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark shut down in early August before resuming about a month later. The Broadway production, directed by Julie Taymor (The Lion King) and featuring music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, is expected to cost somewhere between $35 million and $45 million.

Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming have been cast as Mary Jane Watson and Green Goblin. The role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man hasn't been announced.

Despite the delays, the musical is set to begin previews in late February and open sometime in March.

Production resumes on financially troubled Spider-Man musical

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

It looks as if word of the death of the Spider-Man musical may have been premature.

Multiple media reports have "modest" work resuming today on the $35-million Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which halted production in early August because of cash-flow problems on the part of lead producer Hello Entertainment.

But Variety notes that the Broadway show, directed by Julie Taymor (The Lion King) and featuring music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, "isn't quite out of the financial woods yet."

"Not everyone who was working on Spider-Man has been called back to work, it's said," writes Gordon Cox, "which some point to as an indication that while producers have gotten hold of some of the cash needed to capitalize the massive tuner, not all of it has yet been secured."

As we reported yesterday, the rest of the cash isn't likely to come from Disney, which on Monday announced plans to purchase Marvel Entertainment. Instead, the New York Post's Michael Riedel says, the funding could come from the pockets of Bono's wealthy friends.

"Bono's too smart to put his own money in the show," Riedel writes, "but word on the street is that he's tapped into his vast network of rich friends and business associates to restart production."

Don't expect Disney to rescue Spider-Man musical

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

If you thought the Disney-Marvel deal could mean a lifeline for the troubled Spider-Man musical -- I'm looking at you, Bono -- you might want to think again.

Variety reports that while yesterday's big announcement prompted speculation on Broadway, Disney is unlikely to take control of the big-budget Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which has halted work while producers try to navigate "cash-flow obstacles."

But why wouldn't Walt Disney Theatrical Productions -- the division behind such successful live productions as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King -- lend a white glove-covered hand? Gordon Cox counts off the reasons, not the least of which is Marvel's existing agreement with Sony Pictures Productions.

"Besides," Cox writes, "it's understood that Marvel ... is just licensing the property, and was never on the hook to contribute any coin to the mega-musical's hefty capitalization costs, considered to be north of $35 million. It's a risk-free fiscal position that would seem foolish to abandon."

The musical, directed by Julie Taymor (Disney's The Lion King) and featuring music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, reportedly is still set to begin previews on Feb. 25, and open sometime in March.

Bono, Edge continue to plug bankrupt Spider-Man musical

Someone needs to get on the phone and let Bono and The Edge know that their Spider-Man musical done lost all its money and ain't gonna be happening anytime soon. Cause they're still plugging the blasted thing over at The Guardian:

"We don't really like musicals," the Edge said. "Most musicals are really pants. They're really not very cool." Instead, they suggest people use a much more cool term: opera. "It touches on opera, it touches on rock'n'roll ... It is much more like opera than a straight musical."

[snip]

"We made one rule for ourselves," the Edge said. "That we would never have Spider-Man singing. A guy singing in tights can't happen." That's not the case for love-interest Mary Jane, to be played by Evan Rachel Wood, or for the "extraordinary" – and as-yet unannounced – female villain. But even if Spider-Man might not be singing, it seems likely his alter ego, Peter Parker, will warble a rock aria or two. And yet theirs is not the typical Peter Parker, according to Bono. Parker "[is] not [quite] Kurt Cobain, but a kind of slacker, a more kind of shy sort of guy," he said.

See, now I was feeling kinda sad that the show had gone south until I read that quote. Now I'm glad it failed. (via Topless Robot)

Face it, tiger: 'Mary Jane' isn't coming back to Spider-Man musical

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Today brings more evidence that, despite the claims of producers, the Spider-Man musical may be deader than Uncle Ben.

New York Post theater columnist Michael Riedel, who's been breathlessly chronicling the problems of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, now reports that agents for Evan Rachel Wood are scrambling for movie roles the actress had turned down so she could play Mary Jane Watson in the $45-million Broadway production.

That comes on the heels of Wednesday's report that Wood, Alan Cumming and other actors had been released from their contracts while producers tried to overcome “cash-flow obstacles.” Officially, work on Spider-Man is "suspended"; a spokesperson maintains the show will start previews, as scheduled, on Feb. 25.

Riedel also claims that Sony and producer David Garfinkle could face further trouble from Live Nation, owner of the Hilton Theater, which was gutted for the production. The columnist quotes an anonymous source as saying "it'll cost millions" to put the facility back together.

Is the big-budget Spider-Man musical no more?

The Amazing Spider-Man #50

The $45-million Spider-Man musical may be in bigger trouble than everyone thought.

Reports circulated last week that work on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark had been put on hold while producers tried to overcome "cash-flow obstacles." Despite those problems, a spokesperson maintained that the show would begin previews on Feb. 25, and open sometime in March.

But today the New York Post's Michael Riedel reports, with some glee, that Spider-Man's actors "have been released from their contracts, with no incentive (i.e., money) to hang around waiting for the production to get back on track."

He also writes that ticket agents are scrambling to get deposit refunds for clients who booked early previews.

The musical, directed by Julie Taymor (The Lion King) and featuring music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, has yet to announce who will play the lead role. Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming are set to play Mary Jane Watson and Green Goblin.

Riedel places the blame for the troubles on "the inexperience of its producers," and a gargantuan budget that reportedly would require the 1,700-seat theater to sell out every show for five years for the production just to break even.

Has the Spider-Man musical hit a wall?

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Rumors are circulating that Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has run into a financial snag that could threaten the production schedule of the big-budget Broadway musical.

Variety reports that preparation work for the show stopped this week, apparently due to "cash-flow obstacles" that producers -- Marvel Entertainment and Sony Pictures, among them -- are moving to resolve.

A spokesperson told the trade paper that production remains on track for the show to begin previews on Feb. 25 and open sometime in March.

The musical, directed by Julie Taymor (The Lion King) and featuring music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, so far stars Evan Rachel Wood as Mary Jane Watson and Alan Cumming as Green Goblin.

Although the role of Peter Parker has yet to be cast, we already know that once he dons the Spider-Man costume, he won't sing.

Turn Off the Dark director says Spider-Man won't sing on Broadway

Marvel has released two videos featuring Julie Taymor, director of the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark musical. In the first video she talks about doing research for the musical by reading a bunch of Spider-Man comics, noting that Peter Parker will sing, but once he puts on his suit, he's all action. "...oh my God, Spider-Man singing in tights. Ain't gonna happen," she says.

In the second video, available after the jump, she talks about where the subtitle "Turn Off the Dark" came from.

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Bono and Edge on Turn Off the Dark!

U2's Bono and the Edge discuss their work on the upcoming Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark! in this YouTube clip:

Tickets are available June 24 if you use your American Express card; you can find more details here.

Spider-Man musical to be a 'circus rock-'n'-roll drama'

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

Several of the folks involved in the upcoming Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark gave a presentation to ticket brokers and group-sales agents last week, including director Julie Taymor and U2 members Bono and The Edge. Taymor talked about the project and showed off set designs, while Bono and the Edge previewed eight songs they've written for it. Both Modern Fabulousity and the New York Post managed to find their way into the presentation, and the former had a very detailed report that included a list of villains appearing in the production (freakin' Swarm? Holy crap):

The set designs, displayed on the huge projection screen in the photo above, drew inspiration from the pop-art colors and the lines of comic book panels while playing with multiple perspectives. Ishioka's costumes were breathtaking -- a rogues gallery of the villains that appear onstage in the musical received audible gasps from the audience, including the Green Goblin, Lizard, Kraven, Swarm, and a new female villain created at the behest of Taymor, Swiss Miss (dressed in immaculate white dominatrix gear and multiple knives...hot!). Fans of Dr. Octopus and Sandman should know, however, that neither made an appearance in the presentation, although Taymor hinted at a special villain yet to be identified who appears in the piece.

Apparently the plan is for Spider-Man to swing over the audience, as Taymor worked with stunt designers from the Spider-Man movies and aerialists from Cirque du Soleil on "webslinger technology" for the production. Sounds very cool.

'I used to use a single thread to cross the sky'

Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark

With the release this week of their new album, No Line on the Horizon, U2 are all over the media hyping it up. And as Bono talks about the new album and the other new album from them that will drop later this year, he's also talking about his work on Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark, next year's Broadway production featuring the wall-crawler. From this week's Rolling Stone:

The first song Bono plays on the Maserati’s more-than-adequate sound system is called “Boy Falls From the Sky,” with Across the Universe star Jim Sturgess singing as Peter Parker. It sounds a lot like a U2 hit, especially when Bono sings along in the car with the line “I used to use a single thread to cross the sky.” “Killer!” he shouts as the song wraps up, and then he plays a choral, operatic segue. When Bono’s assistant calls on his cell, he cuts the conversation short: “We’re in the middle of an opera here!”

Clayton and Mullen haven’t even heard what Bono calls the “spider songs” yet, but the singer is hopeful that he can convince them to release the tunes in the form of a U2 album. “If we do, it’ll be a monster, ’cause it’s the most accessible music we’ve probably ever written,” Bono says. “It could be our Tommy. We could do it with guest stars and everything.”

For some reason I started receiving issues of Rolling Stone in the mail a few weeks ago -- I think it's a promotional thing to go along with their new, smaller format -- so hopefully I'll get this issue as well.