Scarlett Johansson sues
Disney over Black Widow.
According to the leading actress of the film based on the character of Natasha Romanoff from the Marvel Comics, her contract was violated with the simultaneous release both in cinemas and on the Disney + streaming platform.
In the lawsuit, Johansson argues that an exclusive theatrical release was guaranteed under the agreements with Marvel Entertainment and her compensation was based largely on the performance of the film at the box office. But Disney's decision to send the Marvel movie to Disney Plus at the same time it hit theaters cost it millions of dollars in compensation. Those bonuses were tied to achieving box office benchmarks that "Black Widow" probably won't reach. In this sense, therefore, Disney, Johansson argued in court, violated the agreement with Marvel without justification by preventing the actress from reaping all the benefits of the contract.
Johansson's lawsuit could set a precedent for the entertainment world.
In fact, major companies are prioritizing their streaming services in order to drive growth. This strategy has sizeable financial implications for actors and producers who want to make sure streaming growth doesn't hurt them.
"The cause is particularly sad and distressing for her callous disregard for the horrifying and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," was the comment from Disney who explained that it had compensated the actress with 20 million dollars.
