Scarlett Johansson Sues Disney Over “Black Widow” Streaming Release
by Emily Nagle
Disney’s “Black Widow” star Scarlett Johansson has sued the company over releasing the film on Disney+ in addition to a theatrical release.
Lots of pandemic-era Disney films have thrived both on streaming and in theaters, like Cruella and Raya and the Last Dragon. However, Johansson reported that her contract for the film stated that, like Marvel’s past films, “Black Widow” would see a theatrical release before becoming available for home viewing.
Johansson claimed that her compensation for “Black Widow” would be dependent on the film’s box office performance, meaning if people preferred to view it at home, this equates to lost revenue for her. When faced with the lawsuit, Disney shot back at Johansson in a statement on Thursday, asserting that they had not breached the contract, and therefore her claims were invalid.
“There is no merit whatsoever to this filing,” Disney wrote in response to Johansson’s claims. “The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 $20 [million] she has received to date.”
After Disney shot down Johansson’s lawsuit, fans expressed their anger on Twitter, with some users blasting Disney and even arguing to boycott the company for not giving the “Black Widow” star the compensation she was promised.
This isn’t the first time Johansson has expressed dissatisfaction with her experience working with Disney’s – in 2019, she revealed that she found her character Natasha Romanoff to be too sexualized, with the other characters objectifying her.