Scarlett Johansson is suing the Walt Disney Company for breaching her contract and depriving her of possible revenue by releasing Black Widow on Netflix.
The Black Widow actor and executive producer claimed in a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court that her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical distribution. The case was originally reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The film's box office performance was connected to Johansson's potential profits, which the corporation released simultaneously in theatres and on its streaming service Disney+ for a US$30 rental.
Ms. Johansson offered Disney and Marvel every chance to correct their error and make good on Marvel's promise in the months preceding up to this lawsuit, according to the lawsuit. “Disney purposefully caused Marvel's violation of the Agreement without reason in order to deprive Ms. Johansson of the full benefit of her Marvel contract.”
Disney said the lawsuit has “no merit whatsoever.”
In a statement, Disney stated, "The lawsuit is especially sad and upsetting in its callous disdain for the devastating and long-term worldwide impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic." “Disney has cooperated fully with Ms. Johansson's contract, and the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has greatly increased her opportunity to receive further pay on top of the $20 million she already has received to date,” the statement reads.
Black Widow premiered to a pandemic-best of US$80 million in North America and $78 million from foreign theatres three weeks ago, after being delayed for more than a year due to COVID-19, but theatrical grosses dropped dramatically after that.The National Association of Theater Owners released a rare statement condemning the tactic in its second weekend of release, claiming that simultaneous distribution simply leads to lost earnings and greater quality piracy.
Hybrid theatrical and streaming releases, which were formerly forbidden, have grown increasingly common for several of the industry's largest studios throughout the epidemic, with each pursuing its own strategy. This weekend, Disney will use the same technique with Jungle Cruise, and next weekend, Warner Bros. will release The Suicide Squad, a big-budget film that will be released both in theatres and on HBO Max.
Over the past 16 months, the new hybrid release methods have periodically resulted in public spats between not just theatre owners, but also actors, directors, and financiers who are dissatisfied with the possible lost income and the claimed unilateral decision-making involved.
According to the WSJ, Warner Media spent more than $200 million in “amended agreements” with artists as a result of its choice to debut its full 2021 slate simultaneously in theatres and on HBO Max.
None, however, have been as widely publicised as Johansson's case. After word of the lawsuit surfaced, the actor, who has appeared in nine Marvel films dating back to 2010's Iron Man 2, instantly became a trending topic on Twitter.
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