Scarlett Johansson has wrapped her time with Marvel Studios and now she’s going after Disney with a new lawsuit filed over the release of the movie…
With the release of “Black Widow,” Scarlett Johansson has officially closed the book on her time with Marvel Studios but she’s still involved with Disney after filing a massive lawsuit against the studio over the release of the recent film.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Johansson claims that her contract was breached when Disney opted not to release “Black Widow” exclusively in theaters and instead also dropped the film on the Disney+ streaming service (for a premium price), which she alleges depressed ticket sales for the movie.
While Johansson was paid her up front money for the film, much of her back end profits were tied to ticket sales, especially if “Black Widow” hit certain benchmarks after its release.
Read part of the language from the lawsuit below:
“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.
“Disney chose to placate Wall Street investors and pad its bottom line, rather than allow its subsidiary Marvel to comply with the agreement. To no one’s surprise, Disney’s breach of the agreement successfully pulled millions of fans away from the theatres and toward its Disney+ streaming service.”
“Black Widow” has earned just over $319 million since its release making it one of the lowest earning Marvel films in recent history.
After word of the lawsuit went public, Disney fired back at Johansson’s claims with a strongly worded statement taking aim at the actress, who is seeking unspecified damages from loss of wages. Here is that Disney statement below:
“There is no merit whatsoever to this filing. The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The release of ‘Black Widow’ on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date.”
Judging by the lawsuit filed and the response from Disney, it looks like things could get rather ugly in this fight with Johansson over the release of “Black Widow.”
The final film in Johansson’s long run with Marvel Studios was originally due out in 2020 but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the movie was pushed back several times in hopes that theaters would eventually reopen, which would also increase profits. Disney has also released several other films in theaters and Disney+ simultaneously as a way to earn more revenue for those people staying at home or unable to get to the theater.
There’s no telling how long a lawsuit like this will take to play out in court as Johansson and Disney prepare to go to battle.
