When news broke that Scarlett Johansson had sued Disney—over “Black Widow” backend theatrical profits that were greatly diminished when the film was released on Disney Premier Access—many speculated that the dam could break and many stars could be next. In fact, Matt Belloni’s “What I’m Hearing” newsletter, which broke the news in the first place, said, Emma Stone was reported to be “be weighing her options.” Stone also faced the same kind of problem: a film that was supposed to be a big theatrical hit, “Cruella,” which she was supposed to participate in its theatrical, that was greatly deterred by its Disney Premier Access. Well, we now know what happened there. Deadline reports that Stone has finalized a deal to star in a “Cruella” sequel, and you know, that wouldn’t have happened had she and Disney not come to terms with her “Cruella” money.
That’s also probably going to make Disney breathe a little easier about any potential upcoming lawsuits from actors, and you can bet they surely sweetened that honeypot for her deal, financially.
“Cruella” made $222 million worldwide in May when people thought the pandemic was coming to an end (ha!), but it’s very possible during optimal conditions, it could have made three times as much.
READ MORE: ‘Cruella’: Emma Stone Struggles To Redesign This Unfashionable Origin Story [Review]
Stone’s superstar agent (Patrick Whitesell) even weighed in (lol) about the “Cruella 2” deal, something that usually doesn’t happen, and it reads like a veritable mic-drop statement addressing the particular aforementioned problem of streaming cutting into theatrical deals for actors.
“While the media landscape has been disrupted in a meaningful way for all distributors, their creative partners cannot be left on the sidelines to carry a disproportionate amount of the downside without the potential for upside,” he said in a statement to Deadline. “This agreement demonstrates that there can be an equitable path forward that protects artists and aligns studios’ interests with talent. We are proud to work alongside Emma and Disney and appreciate the studio’s willingness to recognize her contributions as a creative partner. We are hopeful that this will open the door for more members of the creative community to participate in the success of new platforms.”
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Yep, that’s a loud and clear sign to everyone in Hollywood listening. Translation: Emma got paid and then some, and a lawsuit may have seriously been on the table at one point. Disney mitigating more negative blowback and press with a good payday for Stone is surely strategic and a win for both parties.
Deadline notes “Cruella 2” is a ways off, but director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Tony McNamara are expected to return.
