The actress Scarlett Johansson, the protagonist of the latest Marvel film Black Widow (2021), denounced Disney this Thursday for breach of contract due to the simultaneous release in theaters and on the digital platform Disney + of this tape.
Johansson, who has filed the lawsuit in a court in Los Angeles (USA), has indicated that the agreement he reached with Disney for the filming of Black Widow guaranteed an exclusive release in theaters and that his salary was based largely on the film's box office profits.
The actress and also producer of Black Widow points out that there was "a promise" from Marvel that the film would have an exclusive release in theaters.
"Disney was well aware of this promise, but still directed Marvel to violate their commitment and instead release the film on Disney+ the same day it hit theaters," the lawsuit states.
"Disney knowingly induced a breach of Marvel's contract, without justification, to prevent Johansson from obtaining the full benefits of her agreement with Marvel," the complaint added.
An extra for watching the movie on Disney +
Black Widow (according to its English name) is the first film that Marvel has released since the pandemic began and it is the film with which Johansson says goodbye to his character Natasha after more than a decade playing her in this popular superhero saga.
Directed by Cate Shortland and with Florence Pugh accompanying Johansson, Black Widow made 80 million dollars (67.2 million euros at current exchange rates) in its opening weekend in theaters in the US and Canada, a figure which allowed it to be the best release on the big screen since the pandemic began.
Black Widow added another 78 million dollars (about 65.6 million euros) to the international market.
In addition, Disney detailed, in a very unusual gesture and commented on in Hollywood, that it had achieved 60 million (50.4 million euros) more in sales on the Disin + platform in its first weekend.
Disney+ subscribers had to pay an extra $30 (about 25.2 euros) to see Black Widow.
Platforms seek simultaneous release with theaters
This demand from Johansson could set a trend in the world of entertainment at a time when the main companies in the sector are opting for streaming services to achieve greater growth.
This move implies major changes for actors and producers, who for their part want to ensure that the development of digital platforms does not come at their expense.
"This surely won't be the last case where Hollywood artists take on Disney and make it clear that whatever the company intends to do, it has a legal obligation to honor its contracts," John told the Wall Street Journal. Berlinski, one of Johansson's lawyers.
Disney began releasing its movies on Disney+ and in theaters simultaneously with the pandemic when theaters were closed or had limited capacity.
This weekend he will present in theaters and on the platform at the same time another of his great bets for this summer: Jungle Cruise with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as stars.
