Two federal lawsuits over a stage adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird were settled on Thursday, allowing the production to go forward, according to The New York Times. The play, written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Bartlett Sher, is scheduled to begin rehearsing in September, with actor Jeff Daniels playing protagonist Atticus Finch. The play will debut at the Shubert Theater in December. Harper Lee’s estate filed suit in March, claiming that Sorkin’s script “deviated too much from the novel,” particularly in its portrayal of Finch. The show’s lead producer, Scott Rudin, then countersued, saying that the dispute could lead to the cancellation of the play and “seeking at least $10 million in damages.” Both sides put out a statement on Thursday saying they had “amicably settled” after filing a request to dismiss both cases. The statement offered no details as to what concessions either side may have made.
