This random and weirdly hilarious Hollywood Reporter article about a “Spider-Man” musical directed by Julie Taymor with music by U2 sounds suspiciously fake, so enjoy it before it’s debunked!

UPDATE – Unless Steve Gerding made up the following press release (which would be awesome), this all appears to be true:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MARVEL CONFIRMS DEVELOPMENT OF SPIDER-MAN MUSICAL FOR BROADWAY

Julie Taymor and U2’s Bono and The Edge Collaborate
on Musical; Summer Reading Scheduled

NEW YORK, NY April 19, 2007 — Marvel Studios has confirmed that plans are underway to produce a Broadway musical based on Marvel’s ever popular Super Hero, Spider-Man. Produced by Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, Martin McCallum, Marvel Entertainment, and SONY Pictures Entertainment (billing in formation), the musical will be directed by Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor with U2’s Bono and The Edge creating new music and lyrics for the project. A reading is scheduled to take place this summer. No dates for a Broadway opening have been confirmed at this time.

The Spider-Man musical will mark the first time a Marvel character has been the subject of a show on Broadway. In addition to co-producing the show, Hello Entertainment is arranging all financing for the project.

“Marvel continues to look to every entertainment medium to support the enduring popularity of our Super Heroes, and we are thrilled with the talent on board. The all star creative team — led by Julie Taymor, Bono and The Edge — is second to none and we are certain this project will delight fans of Spider-Man and new audiences alike,” said David Maisel, Chairman, Marvel Studios, whose previous Broadway credits include spearheading the 1999 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Fosse.

General, Comics