Scarlett Johansson Is Reportedly Suing Disney For The Way 'Black Widow' Was Released
The film dropped in theatres and on Disney+ earlier in July.
Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson is reportedly suing Disney for allegedly breaking her contract when the movie was released for streaming on Disney+ and in theatres at the same time.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Johansson filed a lawsuit on July 29 in L.A. against the company in which it's said that her agreement with Disney's Marvel Entertainment ensured the film's exclusive release in theatres and that her salary was largely based on how Black Widow performed at the box office.
Marvel Studios' #BlackWidow is the #1 movie in the world 2 weeks in a row Get tickets or order it now! https://Marvel.com/BlackWidow\u00a0pic.twitter.com/l7Uetu6iQd— Marvel Studios (@Marvel Studios) 1626796801
"It's no secret that Disney is releasing films like Black Widow directly onto Disney+ to increase subscribers and thereby boost the company's stock price – and that it's hiding behind COVID-19 as a pretext to do so," John Berlinski, an attorney with Kasowitz Benson Torres who represents Johansson, told CNBC.
"But ignoring the contracts of the artists responsible for the success of its films in furtherance of this short-sighted strategy violates their rights and we look forward to proving as much in court."
Berlinski also said he believes this won't be the last case where an actor "stands up to Disney" about honouring contracts.
Narcity has reached out to a Disney spokesperson for comment. Black Widow was released on Disney+ and in theatres on July 9, 2021.