On Thursday, American actress Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney for breach of contract, following the digital release of the movie “Black Widow” on the streaming platform, adding that her salary was based on box office receipts in theaters.
In a lawsuit filed this morning in Los Angeles Supreme Court, the heroine and executive producer of the Marvel movie, which has been translated in Portugal as “Black Widow”, said that her contract guarantees an exclusive release in theaters.
Scarlett Johansson’s potential earnings were tied to box office revenue and the company premiered the film simultaneously in theaters and on the Disney+ streaming service, which can be accessed for an additional fee of $30 (about €25.2).
“In the months leading up to this process, Johansson gave Disney and Marvel every opportunity to right their wrongs and comply with the Marvel agreement. Disney intentionally incited the violation of the Marvel contract, without justification, to prevent Johansson from obtaining the full benefits of the agreement with Marvel,” the lawsuit decried.
According to the AP news agency, Disney has not yet commented on the case.
After being delayed for more than a year due to Covid-19, “Black Widow” made its best debut in the context of the pandemic, for three weeks, with an income of $80 million (about €67.3 million) in North America and $78 million. dollars (about 65.5 million euros) in international theaters, but sales were significantly declining.
However, Disney reported that it earned $60 million (50.4 million euros) from the film’s streaming sales during its first weekend.
This decision by Scarlett Johansson may represent a trend in the world of entertainment, at a time when major companies in the sector are betting on streaming services.
“This certainly won’t be the last case in which Hollywood artists confront Disney and make clear that whatever the company wants to do, they have a legal obligation to fulfill contracts,” Wall Street journalist John Berlinsky told the Wall Street Journal. Actress’s attorney.
Disney started premiering its movies on Disney+ and theaters simultaneously when theaters closed due to the pandemic.
Salman Rushdie is a journalist and feature writer specialising in culture, politics, literature, and international affairs. He focuses on delivering clear, informative reporting that helps readers understand the people, events, and trends influencing today’s world.
