Actress Scarlett Johansson, known for her role in Black Widow, has filed a lawsuit against Disney over the movie’s simultaneous release on Disney+, claiming it violated her contract and cost her more than $50 million. According to reports, Johansson alleges that Disney’s decision to release the film both in theaters and on the streaming platform affected her earnings, which were largely based on box office performance. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, accuses Disney of inducing Marvel to breach its agreement with her in order to prevent her from receiving the full benefits she was promised. Johansson, who reportedly received an upfront payment of $15 million for Black Widow, is seeking compensation for lost bonuses due to the streaming release.
Scarlett Johansson, the actress who plays Black Widow, has filed a lawsuit against Disney, alleging that the decision to release the movie on streaming services at the same time as in theaters violates her contract.
Johansson, aged 36, claims that she missed out on over $50 million due to the film being released on Disney+ streaming service concurrently with its theatrical premiere.
Having a net worth of approximately $165 million, Johansson is among the top-earning actresses globally. Her highest-paying role so far was in the 2017 film Ghost in the Shell, which reportedly earned her a salary of $17.5 million.
Black Widow raked in $60 million on Disney+ streaming platform during its opening weekend, as revealed in the company’s initial breakdown of streaming numbers for a movie.
The film, which features Johansson as the super-spy in a catsuit, was accessible online to Disney+ subscribers for an additional charge of $29.99 at the same time as its theatrical release.
Despite setting a pandemic-era record by grossing $218 million worldwide within the first weekend earlier this month, inclusive of streaming figures, domestic box office earnings of $80 million, and international earnings of $78 million, the film’s box-office performance declined significantly after the opening weekend. This led some analysts to question if the Disney+ streaming release was impacting ticket sales.
The movie Black Widow, featuring Scarlett Johansson in her iconic black suit as a super spy, could be streamed online by Disney+ members for an additional cost of $29.99.
The legal case highlights that Disney’s shares saw a significant increase on July 12 after they revealed the strong numbers from Black Widow’s streaming sales on Disney+.
Black Widow experienced a significant drop in box office earnings by 67% after its opening weekend, with global ticket sales reaching $319 million, making it one of Marvel’s least successful films in terms of revenue. Despite this, Disney’s stock saw an increase following the announcement of Black Widow’s successful streaming sales on Disney+.
In her lawsuit against Disney, Scarlett Johansson alleges that the company directed viewers towards Disney+ to retain profits for itself and expand its subscriber base, ultimately boosting its stock value. The lawsuit also claims that Disney aimed to diminish the value of Johansson’s contract to benefit itself.
Johansson’s representatives attempted to renegotiate her contract upon learning of Disney’s plan to release Black Widow simultaneously in theaters and on streaming platforms, but Disney and Marvel did not respond. Marvel executives had previously assured Johansson that the film would follow a traditional theatrical release, with any changes requiring discussion due to the agreement’s box office bonus structure.
Overall, the lawsuit highlights Johansson’s concerns over Disney’s streaming strategy and the impact it had on her contractual agreement and potential earnings.
The movie “Black Widow” raked in an impressive $60 million just from streaming on Disney+ during its opening weekend.
Disney was not available for immediate comment when approached by DailyMail.com on Thursday. This legal action arrives at a crucial time for the movie industry, with many major studios testing out the strategy of releasing films online and in theaters simultaneously. Warner Bros., for example, made the bold decision to make all its movies available on HBO Max at the same time as their theatrical release this year, a move that seems to have pleased parent company AT&T. In fact, WarnerMedia recently announced plans to continue this approach in 2022 by releasing 10 films on HBO Max on their release date. Following suit, Disney has also started adopting the trend of simultaneous streaming releases for movies due to the impact of the pandemic.