Scarlett Johansson files lawsuit over ‘Black Widow’ streaming on Disney+

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Jessica Napoli | FOXBusiness




Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over the release of "Black Widow" on its streaming platform, Disney+.

The Marvel star, 36, filed a lawsuit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court alleging that Disney breached her contract when the media company simultaneously released the superhero film on both Disney+ (for a $30 fee) and in theaters.

Johansson says in the suit that Disney’s Marvel Entertainment that her contract guaranteed exclusive theatrical release of the film and a large part of her salary hinged on the film having successful ticket sales.

"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," the suit said according to the Wall Street Journal.

Disney released the movie on Disney+ because of the pandemic which caused theaters to limit in-person capacity.

"This will surely not be the last case where Hollywood talent stands up to Disney and makes it clear that, whatever the company may pretend, it has a legal obligation to honor its contracts," said John Berlinski, an attorney for Johansson.

A Disney spokesperson told FOX Business that the court filing has "no merit whatsoever."

"The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," the Disney spokesperson said. "Disney has fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of ‘Black Widow’ on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20M she has received to date."

Johansson has played Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff since her debut in 2010’s "Iron Man 2." This was her ninth and final movie as the character.

Reps for the star reportedly tried to renegotiate her contract but Disney and Marvel were "unresponsive," according to the docs. Per an email in the suit, conversations about contract changes were started in 2019.

Disney fired back in a statement to Variety, calling the suit "sad and distressing."

"There is no merit whatsoever to this filing," said the mouse house. "The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."

The dual streaming-theatrical release reportedly has cost Johansson more than $50 million.

The Walt Disney Co. said on July 11, the superhero pic generated an estimated $80 million in ticket sales in North America. Combined with $78 million from international theaters and at least $60 million in Disney+ Premier Access rentals, "Black Widow" grossed over $215 million in its first weekend.

The studio said it’s the largest domestic opening weekend since "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" debuted in 2019, pre-pandemic.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[deebakes]

[lost in melb.]

From my reading, she has a case. It was in her contract

"There is no merit whatsoever to this filing," said the mouse house. "The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."

That is besides the point.


Regardless, I don't see Johansson working with Disney again.

[deebakes]

boo fucking hoo disney, i think you aren't hurting that much financially

[DemonGeminiX]

From my reading, she has a case. It was in her contract




That is besides the point.


Regardless, I don't see Johansson working with Disney again.

Well, they did kill her character off, soooo...

[Godfather]

TL;DR – they promised her a cut of the box office revenue, decided to release simultaneously on streaming and gave her nothing from that, then ghosted her when she attempted to renegotiate her contract.

Edit: they also told her in writing that the film would follow a standard theatrical release model when she signed the contract, and assured her they would renegotiate if plans changed. Lol Disney.

The $30 they are charging for it on Premier Access should absolutely be treated as equivalent to box office revenue. Good thing she can afford good lawyers, unlike all the writers and other talent that Disney routinely fucks over.

Interesting take. Guess we'll see what happens? Or it'll get settled out of court and we'll never know more likely eh.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Im sure she will win, it was still wack

[Teh One Who Knocks]

BY RACHEL LABONTE - Screen Rant




Here's how Disney is expected to defend themselves in their ongoing lawsuit with Scarlett Johansson over the release of Black Widow. After a year of insisting that the first movie of the MCU's Phase 4 would receive an exclusive theatrical run, Disney made the surprising decision to give Black Widow a Disney+ Premier Access release as well as time in theaters. In response, Johansson sued Disney last week, citing a breach of contract that resulted in the actress losing out on tens of millions of dollars. Johansson was set to earn large bonuses off of Black Widow's box office earnings, but that now seems unlikely with its lower-than-expected worldwide total.

Since Johansson filed the suit, the matter has only gotten messier in the public eye. Not long after the lawsuit was revealed online, Disney blasted Johansson in a blistering statement that accused her of being callous amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The statement drew the ire of both Johansson and several women's groups, and the anger reportedly goes inward too. Both Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige and Disney's former CEO Bob Iger are dissatisfied with the Black Widow situation, and it might not get much better as legal proceedings get underway.

A new feature on the Black Widow lawsuit from Vulture explains what Disney's method of defense is expected to be. Though the court of public opinion so far seems to be on Johansson's side, Disney will likely invoke force majeure, or a contractual clause that frees parties from both obligation and liability in the face of unforeseeable circumstances. Many would say that a worldwide pandemic would fall under that category.



Disney isn't the only studio to adopt streaming releases in the face of the pandemic, with Warner Bros. perhaps being the most notable example. All of Warner Bros.' 2021 movies, from Godzilla vs. Kong to Dune, have been or will be released on HBO Max at the same time they debut in theaters. Though the decision prompted mixed responses from WB's talent, the studio has so far managed to avoid lawsuits like the Black Widow one. However, Warner Bros. took care to adjust the contracts of their creatives; Disney did not do that with Johansson.

Whether force majeure will be enough to secure a win for Disney remains to be seen, but it's hard to argue that a pandemic isn't an "unforeseeable circumstance." Johansson has her own contract on her side, as well as the support of those around her. Even before the pandemic began, the actress was concerned about Black Widow getting a streaming release, so this wasn't a new issue. This is a thorny lawsuit, and it will likely continue to get much attention. Stay tuned for more updates.

[Godfather]

CAA's response is pretty defensive of ScarJo: https://www.indiewire.com/2021/07/sc...ng-1234654389/



I wonder how other cast members of the Marvel movies will react? Might this lead to trouble for the entire franchise?

[DemonGeminiX]

CAA's response is pretty defensive of ScarJo: https://www.indiewire.com/2021/07/sc...ng-1234654389/



I wonder how other cast members of the Marvel movies will react? Might this lead to trouble for the entire franchise?

They probably won't openly say anything in fear of losing their cash cow, but they'll cheer her on in private.