Disney/Marvel Studios
Actress Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney after the company simultaneously released her film "Black Widow" on its Disney+ streaming platform and in theatres, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Johansson argues that Disney violated her contract, potentially bilking her out of significant income, because her salary was largely based on box office performance. A source told the paper the actress could be missing out on an estimated $50 million.
According to the report, Johansson was concerned about the movie being released in part on Disney+. Her representatives contacted Marvel to ensure that the movie would solely be released in theatres. Per the report, Marvel's chief counsel said they would speak with her if those plans changed.
"Black Widow" raked in $158 million in its global box office opening, while Disney saw $60 million in sales from at-home viewing purchases.
"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," reads the lawsuit, according to the WSJ.
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for Johansson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Case information was not immediately available on the court's website.
Disney+ and other streaming services took the unprecedented step and debuted movies at the same time online and in theatres in 2020 due to the pandemic. For example, Disney's live-action Mulan remake saw a dual release, as did "Wonder Woman 1984" And "Zack Snyder's Justice League" on Warner Bros.' HBO Max.
But the move prompted backlash from the filmmaking world, including from directors Christopher Nolan and Patty Jenkins, who helmed the "Wonder woman 1984" project." Many speculated how traditional filmmaking could be impacted by releasing high-budget, high-quality movies online.
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