Struggling at the box office past its opening weekend, Marvel’s “Black Widow” might not end up being released in China (this could change), and there is a good shot the film might end up becoming a flop. Or at least a theatrical one. If that happens, the film won’t be able to recoup costs, as the Premier Access (Disney announced they earned $60 million opening weekend) money isn’t applied against box office returns or even heads directly to the film division as it’s a Disney+ entity. Throwing stuff on streaming means actors/producers see their points or gross participation drastically reduced and may breach long-established contracts.
READ MORE: ‘Black Widow’ Has Historically Bad Box Office Drop As Theater Owners Blame Disney+ Access
Well, it looks like the streaming release of the film is enough for “Black Widow” producer and star Scarlett Johansson to move forward with a lawsuit against Disney and Marvel as they may have breached their contract with the actress. The news first broke by the Wall Street Journal and was made public by Variety, and this is a huge whoa that could have a ripple effect in Hollywood.
The suit claims that both Disney and Marvel ignored the actress’ representatives when they attempted to renegotiate her contract when the film was added to Premier Access, a direct competitor to the theatrical release, and according to the suit directly deflated the box office returns along with Johansson’s chances to earn bonuses stipulated in her contract.
Wall Street Journal adds that sources close to Scarlett Johansson estimate that Disney’s decision to release the film concurrently on Disney+ led to $50 million in lost bonuses. “Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel,” the suit alleges. Not the best parting gift after playing an iconic Marvel superhero for ten years and taking a decade to get her own film.
If you’re not familiar many Marvel Studios actors forgo upfront salaries for these backend and bonus deals as they can result in massive earnings compared to their regular quotes. It’s a huge incentive to stick around to make more installments than they would have with those Phase One contracts.
Disney has responded and in full force, claiming she already made $20 million off “Black Widow,” and her asking for more is “callous” and “distressing” during a global pandemic.
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