Scarlett Johansson's agent responds to Disney's statement regarding the Black Widow lawsuit and calls it an attack on the actress' character. After spending more than a decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Johansson was finally given the chance to star in a solo movie. However, COVID-19 repeatedly delayed plans to release Black Widow and ultimately led to a drastic change. Disney released the movie on Disney+ as a Premier Access title at the same time it hit theaters, resulting in a global opening weekend of $215 million - with $60M coming from Disney+ alone.
While audiences have mostly enjoyed Black Widow, it has been revealed that not everyone was happy with the rollout. Johansson recently sued Disney as a result of the digital and theatrical rollout. The lawsuit claims that Johansson's contract for Black Widow included a mandate for an exclusive theatrical run and that the limited box office performance will result in the star losing $50 million in potential earnings. Instead of quietly settling this dispute, Disney surprisingly issued a strong statement in response that cited Johansson's $20M paycheck and said it was "sad and distressing" in light of the effects of COVID-19.
The Black Widow lawsuit saga now continues with Scarlett Johansson's agent issuing a response statement to Deadline. The statement calls Disney's response an attack on Johansson's character. It calls Disney's allegations against Johansson shameless and false, and it goes on to cite the company's attempt to weaponize the salary she deserved against her. The full statement from Johansson's agent and CAA co-chairman Bryan Lourd can be read below:
I want to address the Walt Disney Company’s statement that was issued in response to the lawsuit filed against them yesterday by our client Scarlett Johansson. They have shamelessly and falsely accused Ms. Johansson of being insensitive to the global COVID pandemic, in an attempt to make her appear to be someone they and I know she isn’t.
Scarlett has been Disney’s partner on nine movies, which have earned Disney and its shareholders billions. The company included her salary in their press statement in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman, as if that were something she should be ashamed of. Scarlett is extremely proud of the work that she, and all of the actors, writers, directors, producers, and the Marvel creative team have been a part of for well over a decade.
This suit was filed as a result of Disney’s decision to knowingly violate Scarlett’s contract. They have very deliberately moved the revenue stream and profits to the Disney+ side of the company, leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation. That’s it, pure and simple.
Disney’s direct attack on her character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades.
After the quick and harsh statement issued by Disney yesterday, it is no surprise to see Johansson's agent issue a similarly strong statement in defense of her. Johansson feels Disney broke her Black Widow contract with the Disney+ release, so her representation will continue to fight for what she believes she is owed. Disney certainly doesn't see the situation the same way though. That could mean that the Black Widow lawsuit isn't going away anytime soon, barring a dramatic change from Johansson or Disney - or someone like Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, who didn't want the Disney+ release, trying to mend fences.
The fallout of Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow lawsuit will potentially have larger ramifications for Disney too. There are already reports that Cruella star Emma Stone is considering a similar lawsuit, with Jungle Cruise star Emily Blunt also potentially looking to do the same. If either of them or other actors are considering suing Disney for hybrid releases, it appears they could also expect similarly strong pushback from the Mouse House. Since this Black Widow lawsuit story is still evolving, there will surely be more updates and statements in the future no matter how it ends.
Source: Deadline
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July 31, 2021 at 12:16AM
