Finding themselves snared in Julie Taymor's monomaniacal web, the producers of Spider-Man: There Will Be Blood Turn Off the Dark are considering cutting the acclaimed director loose. And the Times reports that U2's Bono (who co-wrote the tinny score with The Edge) has had "a direct role in the talks." According to the latest gossip, producers are determined that changes must be made, ahem, with or without her. But be careful Bono—rumor has it that like the Black Widow, "she mates and then she kills":
The people who spoke about the negotiations said that, throughout Monday, they were not sure if Ms. Taymor would stay or go as director... What is certain, the people said, was that the producers saw the potential for major changes to the musical, which they hope to mount for years in productions around the world, and that Ms. Taymor either needed to accept help in making those changes or face a different outcome, potentially her exit from the show.
Sounds like an intervention! And in a recent speech to the TED conference, Taymor did seem sort of fried, telling attendees, "Anyone who creates knows — when it’s not quite there. Where it hasn’t quite become the phoenix or the burnt char. And I am right there." Despite scathing reviews from Gothamist and other media outlets, the production was playing to about 90% capacity each week—until last week, when attendance sank to 84.5%.
Insiders speculate that the costly spectacle needs to fill almost every seat in order to turn a profit, and even then it will take years to recoup the investment. Right now it's barely covering its operating expenses, and last week OSHA fined the producers for safety violations.
