Scarlett Johansson Disney Dispute: Actor Reaches Settlement Over "Black Widow" Release

Scarlett Johansson Disney Dispute: The legal dispute between actor Scarlett Johansson and Disney over the release of the Marvel Studio's superhero film, Black Widow is over. Both the parties revealed in a joint statement that they have reached a settlement.

The legal dispute began two months ago after the release of Black Widow on OTT soon after its premiere in cinemas. The actor alleged that the Disney team gave the film to its over-the-top (OTT) platform while it was earning well in theatres and thus deprived Johansson of her "potential" earnings.

The details of the deal, over which settlement (the amount paid by Disney to Johansson) was made, has not been disclosed yet.

The Content Chairman for Disney Studios, Alan Bergman said in the statement that he is pleased that Disney could come to a mutual agreement with Johansson with regards to the film. He added that he appreciates her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and looks forward to future collaborations between the two.

Similarly, Johansson in her statement too appreciated the work she has done with Disney and the fact that she enjoyed her creative relationship with them.

The lawsuit against Disney was filed by Johansson in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in July soon after the US premiere of her film on the ninth of that month. While filing the complaint, she stated that Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney had promised Black Widow as a theatrical release. By which she understood that the film will be given 90 days time period, as usual, before it was passed to the streaming platform.

To which a representative of Disney responded saying that they have not violated Johansson's contract and the case held "no merit whatsoever".

The film, released during the coronavirus pandemic and still managed to earn $218 million in its opening weekend, but later the footfall fell sharply. During the pandemic, big studios have been releasing their films online for a better profit as theatres have either been closed down or have no to little show from viewers. With the decline in cases and increased vaccination, most theatres have opened, but studious like Disney and Warner Bros have chosen to maintain the dual release strategy for major films.

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