While Scarlett Johansson is now back in the Disney family, and reportedly still working on her elusive Tower of Terror film, it wasn’t long ago that the Marvel star and the Mouse House nearly found themselves in court.
Just four short years ago, Hollywood was in a drastically different place.
Photo: Wikipedia
With the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the country, the movie theater industry was in peril. The economic impact of the pandemic led many studies to shift their films from cinemas to streaming platforms.
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It was an unprecedented time in history, and one that required many executives to think on their feet.
‘Black Widow’
Against this backdrop, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow was released.
Photo: Disney Plus
After appearing in eight Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films as part of the broader ensemble, Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff was finally getting her solo outing.
While Black Widow had always been intended for theatrical release, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.
Eventually, Disney decided to release the film simultaneously on Disney+ with Premier Access and in theaters.
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The decision would ultimately be a success, as Black Widow grossed over $379 million worldwide (setting several pandemic box-office records) and earned Disney a reported $150 million from Premier Access.
The Lawsuit
Despite Black Widow‘s relative success amid unprecedented circumstances, Disney’s decision to release the film on streaming caused a conflict with Johansson, who had bonuses in her contract tied to the film’s box office returns.
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The decision to release the movie on streaming simultaneously with its theatrical debut cost Johansson millions of dollars.
Source: denofgeek.com
After months of working behind the scenes to get Disney to make good on the lost bonuses, Johansson finally filed suit.
Disney’s Shocking Response
In response to the lawsuit, Disney, then under the leadership of CEO Bob Chapek, released a blistering statement accusing the actress of “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
It was a shocking public attack on a woman who had been one of the studio’s biggest stars.
Eventually, Johansson and Disney would settle their Black Widow dispute, and the actress would be brought back into the fold.
“I don’t hold a grudge,” Johansson told Variety last year. “I think it was just poor judgment and poor leadership at that time. It just felt very unprofessional to me, the entire ordeal. And honestly, I was incredibly disappointed, especially because I was holding out hope until, finally, my team was like, ‘You have to act.’”
Johansson Reflects Back
As they say, time heals all wounds, and Disney and Johansson have seemingly mended their relationship.
Photo Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Not only is the actress still working on a Tower of Terror film, but she also received an executive producer credit on Thunderbolts* earlier this year.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Johansson was asked about the incident and whether she received sufficient support from the industry.
Host Vick Hope and Florence Pugh are joined by Scarlett Johansson on stage at Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow” world premier fan event at Cineworld Leicester Square on June 29, 2021 in London, England.
“I mean, it would be great to have more support from the community and my peers – vocally, publicly – on certain issues that affect the entire industry,” she explained.
A Product of the Times
Later in the interview, she mused that the Black Widow dispute was largely a product of unprecedented times and a new medium.
(Photo Illustration by Mateusz Slodkowski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
“As we moved from the model of theatrical box-office bonuses to understanding how that translated to streaming, it had just become this nebulous thing, with no guidelines around it. So to be able to impact that moves everything in the right direction. But yes, I would welcome more support.”
Photo Credit: Film Magic
Thankfully, it sounds like both Johansson and Disney have put the dispute behind them.
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