Streaming giant Netflix has filed suit in a Washington, D.C., court against Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the composers of the unofficial musical “The Bridgerton Musical,” according to BFM TV.
This original non-profit show was created by fans of the hit series “The Chronicles of Bridgerton” on TikTok and grew out of videos released by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. In these videos, which quickly went viral, the two young women have fun writing songs for a musical based on the Netflix series.
Seeing that their videos were successful, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear decided to include their songs in an album called “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.” The disc was very successful, reaching the top of the iTunes charts in a short time and even winning a Grammy.
The authors, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, want to perform their project on Broadway. The duo wants to put on a real musical, for which tickets could sell for up to $149 each.
In this show, more than ten songs are said to have copied “dialogues and character expressions” and other elements from the “Bridgerton” series, as Netflix states in its complaint.
Netflix, which says it has “repeatedly objected” to the musical from the beginning, feels compelled to take legal action against Abigail Barlow and Emily Bea.
“Throughout the show, Barlow & Bear led the audience to believe they were using the Bridgerton brand with permission. Only Netflix has the exclusive right to create songs or derivative works based on Bridgerton,” the company’s lawsuit states.
The unofficial Bridgerton musical was set to begin a tour at London’s Royal Albert Hall. According to the complaint, there were also merchandising projects.
Netflix, which has its own event, the Bridgerton Experience, still says it supports “any fan-made content.” “But Barlow and Bear have gone way too far in trying to market Bridgerton’s intellectual property without permission,” the platform said in a statement obtained by Deadline.