Some stats have been released that make the success of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark look even less likely. Julie Taymor’s upcoming 65-million dollar musical already looks ridiculous and is a huge joke among the theater community but it’s not even a question of how popular it is at this point, just simple math.
The Hollywood Reporter has realized that the show will have to bring in a million dollars a week just to break even. The theater has 1,900 seats, so do the math and be terrified about what ticket prices might look like. The worst part? For the musical to make any money back it’s going to need to run at capacity for two to three years- something very few shows have ever done.
This on top of disasterous reports from early previews that were plagued with technical problems, mostly stemming from the fact that actors will be flying 50 miles an hour and battling in mid-air, inches from the heads of audience members. At one preview the performance was stopped five times, once with crew members having to erect a ladder to pull down a cast member while the audience laughed and heckled.
For an in-depth look at the creation of the show, check out the 60 Minutes special below.