Why is Scarlett Johansson suing Black Widow?
After the film's release, Johansson filed a lawsuit for an alleged breach of contract.
After years in the MCU, Scarlett Johansson finally had the movie of hers with Black Widow as the protagonist of her own story, but things are not as fans, or she, expected.
The film takes place just after Natasha Romanoff becomes a fugitive for having supported Captain America in the "civil war", which also left the Avengers divided and a few of them in the same prison to which they later send Zemo. in Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Black Widow is a great movie, but it came too late and it definitely didn't do Natasha or Scarlett Johansson justice, plus it was Yelena Belova who stole the show as the 'annoying little sister', and, with that scene after the credits, It all seemed like a platform to propel her into the complex and wacky world of the MCU. But that did not bother Johansson, the problem had to do with the premiere of the film.
As everyone knows, Black Widow was released in theaters and on Disney + at the same time, which allowed users to pay a premiere access fee to be able to see the film without having to go to the cinema, and that is now the object. of a Johansson lawsuit against Disney, or so The Wall Street Journal says.
Why is Scarlett Johansson suing Black Widow?
Ok, the multiple Oscar nominee is not suing a character that does not exist (and who gave her so many successes), but The Wall Street Journal that the film, or rather the form of its release, is what led to the actress to sue Disney for breach of contract.
"Johansson said in the lawsuit that her settlement with Disney's Marvel Entertainment guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release and that her salary was based largely on the movie's box office performance," says the Journal. This means that Johansson was going to have a higher or lower salary depending on the earnings of the movie in theaters, and the earnings were clearly going to be less if streaming came into play.
"Disney intentionally induced Marvel to breach the agreement, without justification, to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her deal with Marvel," the lawsuit says.
With the pandemic leaving millions of cinemas closed, many studios and companies are betting on streaming to premiere their best content (although some better decided to change the release dates, as happened with Dune and No Time to Die), but that may affect the actors and the rest of the production teams and their profits.
"This surely won't be the last case where Hollywood talent stands up to Disney and makes it clear that whatever the company intends, it has a legal obligation to honor its contracts," said John Berlinski, attorney. by Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP. that he represents Mrs. Johansson.
According to the complaint, the actress' representatives also sought to renegotiate her contract after learning of the premiere strategy for "Black Widow" in theaters and streaming at the same time, but Disney and Marvel did not respond, the suit said.
The actors must fulfill their contracts with the studios, otherwise they face lawsuits themselves and even be banned from certain studios and companies, so the same should happen if the case is the other way around and that seems to be the reason for this. demand.
Disney's response:
After news of the lawsuit was released, Disney responded by saying: "There is no merit in this filing," the studio said in a statement. "The lawsuit is especially saddened and distressing because of its callous disregard for the horrible and lingering global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."
The company further said that Johansson had already received $ 20 million for her work and that "the launch of 'Black Widow' on Disney + with Premier Access has significantly improved her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $ 20 millions that she has. received to date ".
Disney did not mention whether or not Johansson's contract was renegotiated so that she could share in the streaming revenue.
