Disney and Scarlett Johansson have reached an agreement in the actress’s law suit against the entertainment conglomerate over an alleged breach of contract concerning her film Black Widow.
In her suit filed this past July, Johansson claimed that Disney undercut the film’s potential box office revenue by simultaneously placing it on their streaming service Disney+ as they released it in theaters. This depressed box office impacted the actress’s earning potential, as part of her contract with the studio.The suit further claimed that the star was promised a traditional theatrical release for the film.
Disney countered by releasing her base salary figure, and was promptly criticized as the move was seen as the studio claiming that she had made enough money and that they shouldn’t have to pay her anymore, regardless of the deal that they had originally struck.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed though both sides released statements saying that they were satisfied with the outcome.
When it premiered in theaters on July 9th, Black Widow had the strongest box off ice opening of any film in the pandemic era, pulling in some $80 million in domestic sales and another $78 million overseas. Disney also announced that they had earned another $60 million globally from the film’s availability on Disney+. Some have seen Disney’s crowing about what they made in Disney+ revenue for the film, and the movie’s precipitous 67% drop at the box office the following weekend, as the opening Johansson’s lawyers needed to file their suit.
As expected, the suit was settled in arbitration, long before it ever reached a courtroom. Pundits speculated when the suit was filed that Disney would most likely rather settle this case than let it go to trial and set a legal precedence that might not be to their advantage.
