Actress Scarlett Johansson Settles Lawsuit With Disney After Claiming Breach of Contract

Actress Scarlett Johansson, prima of the Marvel superhero movie “Black Widow,” has settled her suit against Walt Disney after alleging that the institution breached her declaration erstwhile it released the movie in theatres portion simultaneously streaming it on Disney+.

As of yet, details regarding the last result of the lawsuit—including whether determination was immoderate fiscal compensation—have not been provided but some Disney and Johansson person released statements confirming the news.

“I americium blessed to person resolved our differences with Disney. I’m incredibly arrogant of the enactment we’ve done unneurotic implicit the years and person greatly enjoyed my originative narration with the team. I look guardant to continuing our collaboration successful years to come,” Johansson said successful her statement on Thursday.

Alan Bergman, the president of Disney Studios Content, also released a statement connected Twitter successful which helium shared his alleviation that the histrion and Walt Disney were capable to scope a communal agreement.

“I’m precise pleased that we person been capable to travel to a communal statement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow. We admit her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look guardant to moving unneurotic connected a fig of upcoming projects, including Disney’s Tower of Terror,” Bergman said.

Johansson took action against the Walt Disney Company back successful July erstwhile she accused them of breaching her declaration by offering the new Marvel movie via streaming portion besides playing it in theaters.

The suit did not specify the magnitude of compensation Johansson sought to beryllium rewarded for alleged damages but Johansson argued that releasing the movie via 2 abstracted mediums had reduced her compensation.

The histrion claimed that the movie was supposed to tally exclusively successful cinemas, connected which her wage was enactment based.

At the time, Disney said determination was “no merit” to the suit and that they had not breached the actress’s contract. Disney besides claimed that the merchandise of the movie connected its streaming level had “significantly enhanced her (Johansson’s) quality to gain further compensation connected apical of the $20 cardinal she has received to date.”

After much than a twelvemonth of being delayed owed to the coronavirus pandemic, Black Widow debuted connected July 9 successful theaters while Disney+ customers were capable to watercourse it for $30.

In her lawsuit, Johansson claimed that Disney had purposely steered its customers towards Disney+, “where it could support the revenues for itself portion simultaneously increasing the Disney+ subscriber base, a proven mode to boost Disney’s banal price.”

“It’s nary concealed that Disney is releasing films similar Black Widow straight onto Disney+ to summation subscribers and thereby boost the company’s banal terms and that it’s hiding down COVID-19 arsenic a pretext to bash so,” John Berlinski, lawyer for Johansson, said astatine the time.

Disney added that Johansson’s suit demonstrated a “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged planetary effects of the COVID-19 pandemic” and had nary merit.

Berlinski noted that helium expects much Hollywood stars to situation Disney going forward.

“This volition surely not beryllium the past lawsuit wherever Hollywood endowment stands up to Disney and makes it wide that, immoderate the institution whitethorn pretend, it has a ineligible work to grant its contracts,” helium said astatine the time.

Reuters contributed to this report.