In case you missed it, Scarlett Johansson sued Disney after the company released Black Widow on Disney+ while also releasing the film simultaneously in theaters. According to Johansson’s legal team, her contract noted that the film would have an exclusive theatrical release, in which part of Johansson’s revenue would come from box office sales. It is now argued that by releasing the film on Premier Access, some of the box office revenue was lost in favor of viewers who wanted to watch the film from home since they were given the option.
Johansson’s move has sparked controversy throughout Hollywood inspiring Disney star Emma Stone to consider legal action regarding Cruella’s Premier Access release. Dwayne Johnson spoke out on the matter as well. By now, the back and forth between Disney and Johansson’s legal team has grown immensely, but now, it seems that Disney is looking to move the case into arbitration.
A lawyer representing Walt Disney Co. in its legal battle against actress Scarlett Johansson defended Disney’s distribution of “Black Widow” and said Disney will seek to move the fight from the courts to arbitration.
“The lawsuit is manifestly wrong in every respect,” said attorney Dan Petrocelli of Ms. Johansson’s recently filed lawsuit. She alleged her contract was breached when Disney last month released the movie “Black Widow” on its Disney+ streaming service at the same time as its theatrical debut.
Credit: Marvel Studios
Moving the case to arbitration would privatize the information being disclosed, which would shut the media out. It is understandable as to why Disney would like to move the case in this direction, as they have received some negative press based on all the information being revealed.
In Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down [Taskmaster and Dreykov (Ray Winstone)], Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Credit: Marvel Studios
Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow, Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina. “Black Widow” — the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige.
What do you think of the ongoing legal battle between Scarlett Johansson and Disney? Let us know in the comments below!
3
Credit: Marvel
