Legal challenge to Unofficial Bridgerton Musical

Netflix is taking action against Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the songwriting team behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.

The project, initially developed the musical on social media, went on to score the No. 1 slot on iTunes U.S. pop charts and even won a Grammy.

Netflix alleges that it made “repeated objections” against the team as they planned to mount a live stage show at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. selling out the venue with ticket prices up to $149. A September performance is planned for Royal Albert Hall in London, the suit claims. There is also planned merchandise.

The stage show reportedly featured more than a dozen songs that involved exactly copied dialogue, character traits, expression and other elements from “Bridgerton.”

Creator Shonda Rhimes said in a statement while there is “so much joy” in seeing audiences fall in love with Bridgerton and find creative ways to express their appreciation, “what started as a fun celebration by Barlow & Bear on social media has turned into the blatant taking of intellectual property solely for Barlow & Bear’s financial benefit”.

“We’ve tried hard to work with Barlow & Bear, and they have refused to cooperate. The creators, cast, writers and crew have poured their hearts and souls into Bridgerton and we’re taking action to protect their rights,” said Netflix.

Source: Variety, ABC.