Lawyers representing Disney have responded to the recent breach of contract lawsuit filed against them by Black Widow star, Scarlett Johansson.
The actress has openly criticized the entertainment company for offering the movie she headlines, Black Widow, as a hybrid release. Disney’s lawyers filed the recent motion in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Johansson claimed a breach of contract in her lawsuit. The star felt the decision to stream Black Widow on Disney+ on the same day it premiered in theaters would affect overall ticket sales and reduce her potential bonuses. Johansson’s lawyers claim the company chose the action to boost Disney+ without considering how it may affect the acting talent.
The motion filed by the legal team representing Disney requested all discussions occur through confidential arbitration, as they claim the original contract with the actress stated.
The team also responded in their motion to the comments made within the breach of contract lawsuit over the assertion that the hybrid release reduced the income potential for the star.
The motion filed by Disney holds that theatrical distributions of the film are not mandated as exclusive and that the contract states only that the film show on at least 1,500 screens.
Worldwide, Black Widow has played on more than 30,000 theater screens and nearly 10,000 screens within the United States. Disney’s motion also defended the decision to release the film as a hybrid theatrical and streaming production. The company stated it was the best decision for all involved.
Black Widow earnings exceeded $367 million at the box office and $125 million in downloads and streaming by mid-August 2021.
The amount surpassed the profits earned by other Marvel movies released before the pandemic. Johansson was the highest-paid actress in the world in 2018 and 2019 and is estimated to have a net worth of $165 million.
