Scarlett Johansson’s suing of Walt Disney Pictures over the Disney+ release of Black Widow was a huge surprise. Johansson’s legal team suggested that due to the movie being released on the streaming platform, rather than an exclusive cinematic release, it has potentially cost the star in excess of $50M.
Disney is not taking the lawsuit lying down. Their legal team is not just firing back, they’re also revealing exactly how much Johansson was paid to star in the action movie.
A Disney spokesperson has said, that not only is there no merit to Johansson’s filing, the company finds the lawsuit “especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Disney Responds To Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow Lawsuit
They revealed that the actress was paid $20M to star in the film and say that Disney has not broken any part of their contract with Johansson. They further allege the release of Black Widow on Disney+ “has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the she has received to date.”
The movie is currently available with Premier Access only, which costs subscribers more.
On the other side of the camp, Johansson’s legal team asserts that her deal was based on the premise that the film would be widely theatrically released. They further contend that the actress tried to renegotiate her deal with Marvel after the decision to release the film on Disney+ was made. Marvel and Disney were allegedly “not responsive to the actress’ concerns”.
While Johansson and Disney may be able to settle in arbitration or out of court, the likely scenario is a lengthy trial that drags on in court for years, especially if Johansson truly believes she is owed a further $50M from the multi-billion dollar entertainment company.
The litigation came as a surprise for fans who have been watching Johansson in the role of Black Widow for 11 years. Johansson has previously vocalized that the Black Widow feature would be her last stint in the role…and it seems she is ‘breaking up’ with Disney in spectacular fashion.
For any other soap opera and entertainment news, please visit again Daily Soap Dish. Don’t forget to visit TVRocker for all of the latest exciting news on all of your favorite daytime television soaps.