Broadway Producer Wins Lawsuit Surrounding Elvis Presley Musical

A new Elvis Presley musical was the subject of a recent lawsuit against the digital production firm Pulse Evolution. The company was found guilty of breach of contract on October 12, according to Forbes, and was reportedly ordered to pay $524,196 to Tony-winning Dear Evan Hansen producer Darren Bagert.

The 90-minute musical was to be centered on a lifelike hologram of Presley, which Pulse was to create. Bagert had been brought on to manage the project, which was budgeted between $15 to $25 million. He worked to build out the production's financials, hand-pick the creative team and seek investors. In exchange, Pulse was to provide Bagert "advances against a production fee tied to the budget of the show, a slice of the net profits, and 200,000 shares of its common stock."

After Bagert completed his pre-production efforts, Pulse made a new partnership with American Idol creator Simon Fuller, who became Pulse's biggest shareholder and was made responsible for shepherding the Presley musical.

“That was a game-changing moment for us,” Bagert told Forbes. "Two producers were attached to the same project."

Bagert worked on the show further on his own, but he eventually brought Pulse to court, claiming that the firm had only provided him with restricted stock and had not paid him some advances on the project.

Pulse founder John Textor said the firm "chose not to defend the matter in arbitration," and no one from the company showed up in court. Bagert was awarded $500,000 for the breached contract, later suing in federal court to enforce the arbitration award. Pulse, again, didn't show up, and Bagert's award increased.

The future of this new Elvis musical is currently unknown.


Producer Darren Bagert