In November of 2019, Disney+ was launched with original content for those who were subscribed, and if you are an avid fan of the studio, premiere access is available for those who didn’t want to go to the theaters. In July of 2021 Marvel Studio’s “Black Widow” was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with premiere access, Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Blackwidow) filed suit with Disney due to a breach of contract. This lawsuit has caused a ripple effect of concern from other actors working with production companies who intend on releasing content through streaming services rather than solely through a theatrical release.
Why is this lawsuit so concerning?
For decades, actors’ have negotiated contracts that have tied bonuses to box office revenues and in Johannson’s case, her contract from 2017 stated that the Black Widow film would be a “wide theatrical release”. This means for the span of 90-120 days the film would be in theaters just like every other Marvel film before it. In May of 2017, Johansson’s team reached out to confirm this, and Disney stated it is “100% our plan to do a wide release of Black Widow.”
Due to the Cornovirus pandemic, most production companies had to adjust their distribution plans. Many movies had their premiers delayed or moved to streaming services. Marvel’s Black Widow was one of the first big-name movies to be released simultaneously Disney+, which would not be considered a wide theatrical release because the film was not only in theaters for 90-120 days. This is where Johansson claims Disney breached her contract; it appears they went back on their word causing the actress to lose money since box office revenues would be down. Johansson claims her estimated loss was over 50 million dollars due to Disney’s actions. After many months, Johannson and Disney finally settled things and Scarlett has already returned to work with the company. “I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come” she states. While this ordeal might be over, the effects are not disappearing any time soon as the future of streaming services is now in question due to rising concerns of other actors.