If there’s anything we’ve learned about the entertainment industry, it’s that you don’t mess with Mickey Mouse or the Mouse’s House. Earlier today, reports indicated that Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over the Disney+ release of her latest film, “Black Widow.”
The Hollywood actress alleges that she was hurt financially when Disney released Black Widow simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+. But it certainly didn’t take long for Disney to clap back at ScarJo, calling her lawsuit “sad and distressing.”
In a move in what a lot of people would call “biting the hand that feeds you” Johansson filed a lawsuit Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Disney, alleging her contract was breached when the media giant released the film on its Disney+ streaming service at the same time as its theatrical debut.
Disney Fires Back At Scarlett Johansson’s Lawsuit
Johansson claims she had been guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release of the film and much of her salary was tied to its box-office performance.
Johansson’s lawsuit cited a response from Marvel’s chief counsel, which stated “Black Widow” would be released like other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Meaning, it would have a theatrical run before going to the home video market.
And now Disney is countering that it complied with the terms of Johansson’s deal to star in the Avengers spinoff film. In the studio’s rebuke, the company says they has fulfilled their side of the contract and also suggested that the lawsuit is in bad taste given the impact of the global pandemic.
“There is no merit whatsoever to this filing,” Disney said in an unusually fiery statement. “The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The company went on to state that the star has already received $20 million for her work and argued that “the release of ‘Black Widow’ on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20M she has received to date.”
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