Scarlett Johansson is Suing Disney Over Black Widow Streaming Release Citing $50 Million Loss
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Scarlett Johansson has filed a lawsuit against the Walt Disney Co. on Thursday, claiming that her contract was breached once Black Widow was released on streaming service Disney+.
“Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel,” said the suit, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Journal additionally reported that Johansson’s lawsuit, filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, claimed that her agreement with Marvel Entertainment, which is owned by Disney, ensured a strictly theatrical release, and that her salary would be largely based on how the film did at the box office.
A person familiar with details of Johansson’s contract reportedly told the Journal, “The decision to put the movie on Disney+ is projected to cost Ms. Johansson more than $50 million.”
Disney started to release films both on their streaming service as well as in theaters because of the Covid-19 pandemic, which kept most American moviegoers at home for an extended period of time.
In a groundbreaking move, WarnerMedia, which operates HBO Max, pulled a similar move in December 2020, announcing that their upcoming films, including the much anticipated Dune and Matrix 4, would hit the streamer the same day as their theater releases.
WarnerMedia’s move was met with a severe backlash, with big Hollywood names such as Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, and Denzel Washington condemning the strategy.
Despite the potential blow that Black Widow faced due to the simultaneous releases, Deadline reported that the film “crossed the $100 million mark at the domestic box office in six days, making it the fastest to do so during the pandemic.”
The film has additionally grossed more than $318 million worldwide since opening in theaters and on Disney+, yet took a huge box office nosedive between its first and second weekends.
The National Association of Theater Owners has already pinned the drop on viewers’ ability to stream the film, penning an impassioned letter blaming Disney for the film’s 67 percent drop.
“Why did such a well-made, well-received, highly anticipated movie underperform?” The organization wrote. “Despite assertions that this pandemic-era improvised release strategy was a success for Disney and the simultaneous release model, it demonstrates that an exclusive theatrical release means more revenue for all stakeholders in every cycle of the movie’s life.”
