According to Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, and other sources, Scarlett Johansson sued Disney three months ago over Black Widow's streaming release. She claimed she would lose millions of dollars as her salary was based upon the film's box office success. The suit has since been settled. The Verge also received confirmation from Johansson's representatives.
Although the terms of the settlement are not public, Deadline quotes a source who said that it was in the millions. Johansson stated to The Hollywood Reporter that she was pleased to have settled our differences with Disney and that she looks forward to our continued collaboration over the years.
Johansson will appear in at least one Disney movie
According to THR, we appreciate her contributions to Marvel Cinematic Universe. We look forward to working with you on a number of future projects, including Disneys Tower of Terror.
The actress claimed that her contract didn't permit films to be streamed simultaneously with their theatrical release. Disney released Black Widow on Disney Plus day-and-date (a practice it has now stopped with a 45-day theater window). According to The Wall Street Journal this move could have cost Johansson $50 Million. Her salary was tied to film box office performances. The argument is that people saw the movie at home and didn't need to pay for it in theaters.
Disney claims that Johansson earned $20 Million for his work on Black Widow
Disney claimed that Johansson was paid $20 million for her part in the film. They also said that she could make more money from the release of the film on Disney Plus. Previously, viewers had to pay $30 to view the movie during its initial release. Box Office Mojo estimates that Black Widow earned almost $379 million during its theatrical run. Johanssons team, when trying to negotiate with Disney reportedly used a $1.2 billion estimate for Black Widow's gross if it hadn't been for multiple COVID delays and the eventual release on Disney Plus. This figure is comparable to the earnings of other Marvel movies, such as Spider-Man: Far From Home or Captain Marvel, from their pre-pandemic theater runs.
Emma Stone and other stars have also negotiated extra payments for films that were released during the pandemic. However, Johansson stated that her Disney contract was signed in 2017 before Disney announced its streaming service. Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision's lead, expressed her support for Johanssons suit in Vanity Fair. She stated that she was concerned about the disappearance of theaters. Other industry professionals have expressed concerns about the impact streaming services will have on actors' paychecks due to the lack of transparency associated with viewing numbers. It is notable that streaming services like Netflix do not disclose how many people have viewed certain shows. This is not the norm.
