Scarlett Johansson and the Walt Disney Company settled a lawsuit on Thursday that the actress brought forward this summer alleging breach of contract by the entertainment giant.
The settlement, the terms of which were not made public, resolves a dispute over Disney’s decision to release Marvel’s Black Widow film on its Disney+ streaming platform. Johansson, who stars in the film, claimed that the decision violated a commitment to an exclusive theatrical release.
“I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney,” Johansson said. “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 Studios Chairman Alan Bergman said he is “pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement” over the suit.
“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,’” he added.
ACTRESS SCARLETT JOHANSSON SUES DISNEY OVER BLACK WIDOW STREAMING RELEASE
Johansson filed the lawsuit in a Los Angeles court in July, alleging Disney “wanted to substantially devalue Ms. Johansson’s agreement and thereby enrich itself” by releasing the movie on its streaming platform.
“It’s no secret that Disney is releasing films like Black Widow directly onto Disney+ to increase subscribers and thereby boost the company’s stock price and that it’s hiding behind COVID-19 as a pretext to do so,” John Berlinski, attorney for Johansson, said at the time.
After the suit was filed, Disney asserted it had “no merit whatsoever” and that it demonstrated a “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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Disney delayed the release of Black Widow for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic to make a theatrical release happen. Disney ultimately released the film simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ for a rental fee.
