He said/she said in 'Spider-Man' suit

NEW YORK, March 4 (UPI) -- Director Julie Taymor says she was the victim of a conspiracy to unfairly force her out of the Broadway production, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark."

Taymor said her one-time collaborators tried to sideline her while secretly working on a script of their own.

Taymor made the allegations in court papers filed in an ongoing battle with the producers of the show that has become a financial hit at the box office, the Maine Sunday Telegram reported.

In November, Taymor sued producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris, and Glen Berger, her former co-writer on the show, alleging copyright infringement and demanding compensation for her work on the $75 million show.

The producers responded with a counterclaim over Broadway's most expensive show in January, alleging the copyright claims were baseless.

Taymor's legal team defended the Tony Award winner against the countersuit Friday.

"While secretly conspiring to oust Taymor and use and change her work without pay, the producers also fraudulently induced Taymor to continue working and to diligently make improvements," her lawyers alleged.

Taymor was the original "Spider-Man" director and co-writer but was fired in March 2011 following delays, accidents and poor initial reviews.