Disney has settled the breach of contract lawsuit filed against it by star and producer Scarlett Johansson over lost revenue based on the studio releasing Black Widow day-and-date in theaters and on Disney+ as a Premier Access title (meaning that subscribers had to pay an extra $30 to watch it). Johansson’s original contract entitled her to a cut of the profits from theatrical ticket sales, but the lawsuit alleged that this income was substantially diminished by the Disney+ release, of which she got nothing.
Following the filing of Johansson’s lawsuit, Disney allegedly went to Dwayne Johnson and basically cut him a check to compensate for any lost revenue from the studio releasing Jungle Cruise in the same manner. Disney has since announced that no other movies that were intended to be released in theaters will be released as Premier Access titles. Its most recent blockbuster, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, was released in cinemas only and has flourished, becoming the highest-grossing movie of the pandemic making $200 million domestically and reigning as the #1 flick at the box office for four straight weeks.
Though details of the settlement were not disclosed, Johansson issued a statement saying:
“I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team. I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come.”
Disney Studios chairman Alan Bergman added:
“I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow. We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects, including Disney’s Tower of Terror.”
The settlement is kept secret (as is always the case, legally), but “sources” hint that Disney coughed up $40 million to appease Scar-Jo. But that’s just a rumor.
Johansson filed her suit at the end of July. Despite some nasty comebacks on the part of Disney, it was assumed by nearly everyone that the studio would resolve the issue with Johansson before going to court.
Black Widow made $379 million at the global box office and reportedly Disney made an additional $60 million via the Premier Access release. The film is now available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and other home media formats.