Disney criticized Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit

Disney has issued a statement in response to Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit. The actress believes that she lost part of the income from the film “Black Widow”, because the tape was released simultaneously in cinemas and online. Representatives of the studio stressed that they have not violated the contract with Johansson and the actress will be able to get more revenue from the demonstration picture on the Internet. It is noted that the actress has already earned $20 million.

Disney has responded to a lawsuit, which had previously sued actress Scarlett Johansson: the artist is not satisfied that the premiere of “Black Widow” was held simultaneously in cinemas and streaming service Disney +.

According to a representative of the media giant, the claims of the actress has no basis. A statement published in the Los Angeles Times also pointed out the inappropriateness of such an action in the current situation.

“This lawsuit is particularly sad and upsetting in its blatant disregard for the terrible long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world,” Disney noted.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Johansson filed a lawsuit against the company in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday. The actress claims that the simultaneous release of the film in theaters and online is a breach of her contract.

The lawsuit says that “Disney intentionally instigated an unreasonable breach of agreement by Marvel Studios to prevent Ms. Johansson from taking full advantage of her contract with Marvel.” Under the terms of the contract, Johansson is entitled to a percentage of Black Widow’s box office receipts.

The studio, however, denies any wrongdoing on its part. In a statement in response it is stated that due to the conditions of distribution of the film on the Internet, the artist can get additional benefits on top of the impressive amount she has already earned from the film.

“Disney is in full compliance with the terms of Ms. Johansson’s contract, and, furthermore, the release of ‘Black Widow’ on Disney+ via Premier Access subscription has significantly increased her ability to earn additional money beyond the $20 million received to date,” the statement reads.

Scarlett Johansson’s attorney John Berlinski, for his part, believes that the COVID-19 pandemic is just a plausible excuse to promote the streaming service with blockbusters.

“It’s no secret that Disney is releasing movies like Black Widow immediately on Disney+ to attract new subscribers and increase the company’s stock price, while covering up the coronavirus situation. But by ignoring, for the sake of this short-sighted strategy, the contracts of the artists responsible for the success of their films, the company is violating their rights, and we will prove it in court,” the Los Angeles Times quoted Berlinski as saying.

According to the lawsuit, back in May 2019, Marvel’s lawyers assured Johansson’s representatives that a new plan would be negotiated with them when the release strategy was changed.

“The whole point of her contract is that the film will go wide like our other films. We understand that if plans change, we will need to discuss it and come to an understanding because the contract is built on a series of (very large) bonuses from the box office,” the document reads.

The attorney expressed confidence that other artists will be pursuing claims against Disney, enforcing their rights and meeting their contractual obligations in the future.

Representatives of the film industry do oppose the simultaneous release of films in theaters and on streaming services. Previously, there had been a window between the big-screen premiere and the digital release that allowed for maximum profits from distribution, but the pandemic has made adjustments to this order.