Scarlett Johansson settles lawsuit with Disney over ‘Black Widow’ release
Actress Scarlett Johansson and The Walt Disney Co. have settled a breach of contract lawsuit over the star’s payday and streaming release of Black Widow.
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but both sides released positive statements about what the future holds.
“I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney,” said Johansson in a statement on Thursday, Sept. 30.
“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.”
Johansson has played Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, in nine movies going back to 2010's Iron Man 2.
Alan Bergman, chairman of Disney Studios Content 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.”
Before the lawsuit was filed, Johansson was set to star in and produce the film based on the famed Disney theme park ride.
The original lawsuit filed in July alleged that putting Black Widow on Disney Plus reduced Johansson's potential earnings in the film because she had agreed that her salary would be based on the film's box office haul. The film’s theatrical release was delayed more than a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disney responded by saying that "there is no merit whatsoever to this filing." The studio added at the time that the company "fully complied with Ms. Johansson's contract and furthermore, the changed release plan of 'Black Widow' on Disney Plus with Premier Access significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date."
CNN reports that Black Widow brought in $80 million at the North American box office in its opening weekend. The film also made $60 million globally on Disney Plus that weekend, according to the studio.
(Images via Disney/Marvel)
