Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over an alleged “breach of contract” because she claims that that the Disney+ Premiere Access release violated her contract and cut into her compensation.
According to the Wall Street Journal, ScarJo’s salary was based largely on theatrical box office numbers, and not streaming numbers.
“Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel,” the suit said.
Here’s more from WSJ…
The suit could be a bellwether for the entertainment industry. Major media companies are prioritizing their streaming services in pursuit of growth, and are increasingly putting their high-value content on those platforms. Those changes have significant financial implications for actors and producers, who want to ensure that growth in streaming doesn’t come at their expense.
“This will surely not be the last case where Hollywood talent stands up to Disney and makes it clear that, whatever the company may pretend, it has a legal obligation to honor its contracts,” said John Berlinski, an attorney who represents Ms. Johansson.
Disney initially crowed about their streaming numbers for Black Widow during its first week, but didn’t release numbers for the second week.
Johansson’s representatives sought to renegotiate her contract after learning of the dual-release strategy for “Black Widow.” Disney and Marvel were unresponsive, the suit said.
Johansson has appeared in nine MCU movies, with Black Widow reportedly being her last.
Given the lawsuit, it’s unlikely she’ll be returning to The Mouse House anytime soon.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
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