The controversy surrounding the Disney Company and Scarlett Johansson continues to present new chapters. To the initial demand for the premiere of Black widow (Black Widow) through Disney Plus, the reaction of the different directors of the company is added. The last to do so was Bob Chapek, the CEO of the company.
Chapek supported the simultaneous launch of Black widow in theaters and through Disney Plus Premier Access. Viewers had the option of watching the movie on the big screen, if they wanted it and the sanitary circumstances allowed it, or pay an extra amount within the service to be able to enjoy Black widow via streaming. So what is the downside in this situation?
According to Scarlett Johansson, the foregoing implies a violation of your contract with the company. That is why the demand is produced, formalized at the end of July 2021. This is not the first production that is affected due to the health scenario derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. Several of them have undergone reprogramming and, as the live action of Mulan, were launched through Premier Access.
What did Bob Chapek say about Disney and Scarlett Johansson?
Although Bob Chapek did not refer directly to the actress during a meeting with different analysts, with the controversy installed in the media agenda, her comments do not escape her. Bob Chapek said: “These movies were conceived during a time when we certainly didn’t know about COVID-19.”. To this comment he added: “Like what we have done many times before, we have found ways to fairly compensate our talent so that, whatever happens, everyone feels satisfied.”
Black widow It was not the first production to be released in this way. The list also includes the premieres of Cruella, Raya and the last dragon Y Jungle cruise. From Bob Chapek’s point of view, the methodology makes sense: “Both Bob Iger (Disney President) and I determined that this was the correct strategy. And, just to reiterate, distribution decisions are made on a movie-by-movie basis. We will continue to use all options in the future”.
The detail? From Scarlett Johansson’s point of view, the Disney Company relied on Black widow to grow its subscriber platform, including the impact the production could have at the box office.
It is a time of testing. That is what will happen with the next releases Free guy, with Ryan Reynolds, and Shang-Chi and the legend of the Ten Rings, the second production of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Disney plans to make an exclusive theatrical release for 45 days and then offer it through Disney Plus.
Date of high in Disney Plus now and save thanks to the annual subscription, with which you can enjoy its entire catalog of series and movies. Enjoy access to the latest releases and to the catalog of Star. You’ll also be able to watch Marvel and Star Wars content, Pixar’s great animated films, and National Geographic documentaries.
Brief context
The film industry is one of the most affected due to the pandemic. The manufacture and distribution of the vaccine has contributed to the normalization of some activities, such as entertainment. But the appearance of new variants, such as the Delta, with a higher contagion rate, continues to affect the sector.
One of the Disney Plus competitions, HBO Max, announced that it has had to pay more than $ 200 million to its talent due to the new measures taken in relation to its productions. Sony recently announced another rescheduling of the premiere of Venom: There Will Be Carnage due to the Delta variant.
Countries that had recovered part of the normality lost during the first stage of the pandemic have once again taken measures to stop the advance of the Delta variant. On the other hand, given what has been seen, the production companies seem to have to start launching part of their catalog.