EFE.- Disney criticized this Thursday the complaint that Scarlett Johansson filed against him for the simultaneous release in cinemas and streaming of Black widow (2021) and accused the actress of ignoring the exceptional context of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement collected by the US media, Disney assured that this lawsuit for breach of contract has “no basis.”
“This complaint is especially sad and distressing in its cruel disregard for the horrible, prolonged and global effects of the coronavirus pandemic,” he said.
“Disney has fully honored the Johansson contract. What’s more, the premiere of Black widow on Disney + with premium access has significantly expanded his ability to earn additional compensation over and above the $ 20 million he has received to date, ”he added.
Johansson, who is the protagonist of this latest Marvel film, denounced Disney on Thursday for breach of contract due to the simultaneous launch in cinemas and on the Disney + digital platform of this film.
The actress filed the lawsuit in a Los Angeles court and noted that the agreement she had reached with the entertainment giant guaranteed an exclusively theatrical release and that her salary was based largely on the film’s box office profits.
The also producer of Black widow said there was “a promise” from Marvel, which is owned by Disney, that the film would have an exclusive release in theaters.
“Disney was well aware of this promise, but still instructed Marvel to violate their commitment and instead release the film on Disney + the same day it hit theaters,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint adds that “Disney intentionally breached Marvel’s contract, without justification, in order to prevent Johansson from obtaining the full benefits of his Marvel deal.”
Black widow It 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 it made $ 80 million in its opening weekend in theaters in the United States and Canada, a figure that allowed it to be the best launch on the big screen since the pandemic began.
Black widow added another 78 million dollars in the international market.
In addition, Disney detailed, in a very unusual gesture and commented on in Hollywood, that it had achieved an additional $ 60 million in sales on the Disney + platform in its first weekend.
Disney + subscribers had to pay an extra $ 30 to view Black widow by streaming.
This demand for Johansson could set a trend in the world of entertainment at a time when the main companies in the sector are opting for the services of streaming to achieve further growth.
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This movement implies important changes for actors and producers, who want, for their part, to ensure that the development of digital platforms does not occur at their expense.
“This surely will not 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 fulfill its contracts,” he told The Wall Street Journal John Berlinski, one of Johansson’s attorneys.
Disney began releasing its films on Disney + and in theaters concurrent with the pandemic when theaters were closed or had limited capacity.
This weekend he will present in theaters and in streaming at the same time another of his big bets for this summer: Jungle cruise, with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as stars.
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