Entertainment behemoth The Walt Disney Company and actress Scarlett Johansson have reached an amicable settlement over the latter’s much-publicised lawsuit against the former. As readers may be aware, Scarlett Johansson filed a complaint against Disney, alleging “breach of contract” over the release of “Black Widow” on Disney’s streaming service Disney+ at the same time it debuted in theaters.
Johansson maintained that as per the contract signed between her and Disney Studios, ‘Black Widow‘was to be an exclusive theatrical release, and a large part of her salary for the solo film was to be based on its box office performance. Releasing the film simultaneously on Disney+ had hampered the box office collections of ‘Black Widow’, thereby costing her millions of dollars in compensation.
Disney, on its part, had fired back with its own set of insinuations, saying that the actress had displayed callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Horrifyingly, the company even made public the information that Scarlett Johansson had already earned a handsome salary of $20 million for reprising her MCU role of Natasha Romanoff in ‘Black Widow’.
After months of exchanging barbs and accusations, the two parties have finally come to a tactful settlement to the case. Details of the agreement between the two were not disclosed to the public. The only inkling of the settlement between the warring parties was the prepared statements shared with the media by the two sides.
Disney Studios chairman Alan Bergman in a statement, “I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding ‘Black Widow’. We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects, including Disney’s ‘Tower of Terror.'”
Scarlett Johansson said in a statement to the media, “I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team. I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come.”
Disney and Scarlett Johansson are expected to revive their creative collaboration with the upcoming ‘Tower Of Terror’, based on the popular Disneyland theme park attraction.