Scarlett Johansson's legal tussle with Disney has reached a conclusion, with both parties content to collaborate together on future projects. And they all lived happily ever after.
The Marvel actor sought compensation following the release of Black Widow through theatres and the streaming service Disney+. Her lawyers argued that doing so was a breach of her contract and cost her millions of dollars as her bonuses were dependent on certain targets at the box office.
Disney responded by describing the lawsuit as an example of "callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic." Yikes. It looked like neither party was going to shift their stance and lots of other members of the industry emerged in defence of Johansson. Even president of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige felt "embarrassed" by the lawsuit as he had wanted an exclusive release in theatres and asked Disney to sort things out before they went public.
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In this back and forth, the lawsuit has at long last been settled. The actual terms have not been specifically stated, but Variety notes in its report that Johansson was looking for $50 million from Disney.
"I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney," said the actor in a statement earlier this week. "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."
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Johansson will star in a new Tower of Terror film with director Josh Cooley having written the script based on the ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios. "I'm very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow," added chairman of Disney Studios Content Alan Bergman in a separate statement.
"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." It's an interesting conclusion to what was thought to be the first rejoinder from the entertainment industry against the gradual shift to streaming services that benefit the studios over the people involved on the projects.
Featured Image Credit: Disney