Scarlett Johansson’s talent agent weighs in on Black Widow lawsuit

ScarJo’s talent agent slams Disney as ‘shameless’ for releasing her $20million salary as ‘an attempt weaponize her success’ after she sued them for $50million for streaming Black Widow

  •  Scarlett Johansson’s talent agent Bryan Lourd said Disney released her salary to ‘weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman’
  • It’s the latest in the back-and-forth, tense feud between Disney – Marvel’s parent company – and the Black Widow star since Johansson sued the Disney for breach of contract 
  • Johansson, 36, alleges she’s lost more than $50million in earnings as a result of Black Widow being released on Disney+ at the same time as theaters 
  • Disney called the lawsuit ‘sad and distressing’ and that it had ‘no merit whatsoever’ and ‘has fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract’  
  • The statement also stunningly revealed how much Johansson, 36, has made from the film: $20 million
  • Her fee for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame was $15 million
  • The actress filed the lawsuit on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court 
  • She claimed she’d been told the film would have an exclusive theatrical release 
  • Johansson said Disney steered viewers to Disney+ at the expense of her bonuses

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Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Artists Agency, said Disney released Scarlett Johansson's salary in 'an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman'

Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Artists Agency, said Disney released Scarlett Johansson's salary in 'an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman'

Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Artists Agency, said Disney released Scarlett Johansson’s salary in ‘an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman’

Tensions between Disney and Scarlett Johansson escalated Friday when the star actress’s talent agent said the company released her $20million salary figures for the last two Marvel movies in ‘an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman.’

It was a stunning reveal in Disney’s press statement responding to the Black Widow star’s $50million lawsuit, which Marvel’s parent company called ‘sad and distressing’ and insisted it has ‘no merit whatsoever’.

‘Disney’s direct attack on her character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades,’ Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Artists Agency, said in a statement.  

Johansson, 36, filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, alleging that she lost out on more than $50million as a result of the film being released on streaming service Disney+ at the same time as its debut in theaters, according to The Wall Street Journal

The actress claimed she had been guaranteed that Black Widow would have an exclusive theatrical release, and that the bulk of her salary was based on the box office performance.  

‘This suit was filed as a result of Disney’s decision to knowingly violate Scarlett’s contract,’ Lourd said. 

‘They have very deliberately moved the revenue stream and profits to the Disney+ side of the company leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation. That’s it, pure and simple.’ 

DailyMail.com contacted Disney for comment.  

Disney has slammed their star Scarlett Johansson (pictured with her husband Colin Jost) for her $50million Black Widow lawsuit in extraordinary statement

Disney has slammed their star Scarlett Johansson (pictured with her husband Colin Jost) for her $50million Black Widow lawsuit in extraordinary statement

Disney has slammed their star Scarlett Johansson (pictured with her husband Colin Jost) for her $50million Black Widow lawsuit in extraordinary statement

Bryan Lourd, Billie Lourd and Bruce Bozzi attend the 'Booksmart' Premiere during the 2019 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Paramount Theatre on March 10, 2019 in Austin, Texas

Bryan Lourd, Billie Lourd and Bruce Bozzi attend the 'Booksmart' Premiere during the 2019 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Paramount Theatre on March 10, 2019 in Austin, Texas

Bryan Lourd, Billie Lourd and Bruce Bozzi attend the ‘Booksmart’ Premiere during the 2019 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Paramount Theatre on March 10, 2019 in Austin, Texas

Black Widow took in $60million on the streaming platform Disney+ on the opening weekend alone, the company previously announced in its first breakdown of steaming figures for a movie.

The movie set a pandemic-era record bringing in $218million worldwide over opening weekend earlier this month, including the streaming figures, plus $80million domestic box office and $78million internationally.

However, the movie’s box-office performance dropped off sharply after the opening weekend, leading some analysts to question whether the Disney+ streaming release was taking a bite out of ticket sales.

Black Widow saw box office receipts plunge 67 percent after opening weekend, and ticket sales currently stand at $319 million globally, putting the film on track to become one of the lowest-grossing Marvel movies of all time. 

Disney ripped Johansson’s lawsuit in a statement to DailyMail.com.  

‘The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,’ the company said, adding her $20million fee for this film and $15million fee Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. 

‘Disney has fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract,’ the company said.

‘Furthermore, the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20M she has received to date.’

It was not immediately clear what Johansson’s additional compensation from streaming could be.

The lawsuit raises questions over whether other major stars could follow Johansson’s lead and launch their own legal attacks over compensation after a year where the pandemic drove many studios to abandon traditional cinema releases. 

Johansson, 36, filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, alleging that she lost out on more than $50million as a result of the film being released on streaming service Disney+ at the same time as its debut in theaters. Pictured: Disney CEO Bob Chapek

Johansson, 36, filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, alleging that she lost out on more than $50million as a result of the film being released on streaming service Disney+ at the same time as its debut in theaters. Pictured: Disney CEO Bob Chapek

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige

Johansson, 36, filed her lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, alleging that she lost out on more than $50million as a result of the film being released on streaming service Disney+ at the same time as its debut in theaters. Pictured: Disney CEO Bob Chapek (left) and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige (right)

Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johansson as the cat-suited superspy, was available online to Disney+ subscribers for an extra fee of $29.99

Johansson claims the movie’s simultaneous release in theaters and on streaming service Disney+ breached her contract and that she lost out of more than $50million, according to The Wall Street Journal

The movie, starring Johansson as the cat-suited superspy, was available online to Disney+ subscribers for an extra fee of $29.99 at the same time as its release in traditional theaters. 

The actress filed the lawsuit on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Disney, claiming she had been guaranteed that Black Widow would have an exclusive theatrical release. 

‘Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel,’ the suit said. 

Johansson is one of the highest paid actresses in the world and has an estimated net worth of about $165million. 

Before Black Widow, her highest-paid film to date was Ghost in the Shell in 2017 for which she earned a reported $17.5million salary.

The lawsuit notes that Disney¿s stock jumped on July 12 when the company disclosed the impressive streaming sales of Black Widow on Disney+

The lawsuit notes that Disney¿s stock jumped on July 12 when the company disclosed the impressive streaming sales of Black Widow on Disney+

The lawsuit notes that Disney’s stock jumped on July 12 when the company disclosed the impressive streaming sales of Black Widow on Disney+

However, the lawsuit notes that Disney’s stock rose after the company disclosed the impressive streaming sales of Black Widow on Disney+.

‘I have opinions, that’s who I am’: Scarlett Johansson’s past controversies 

Scarlett Johansson previously said that she has ‘made a career’ out of her controversies, adding that she’s going to have opinions of things because ‘that’s who she is’.  

January 2015: Johansson faced accusations of whitewashing after accepting a role in ‘Ghost in the Shell’, a Japanese franchise based on a manga series which was due to be a great success. Casting led to outcry, with many arguing that an Asian actress should have landed the leading role. 

May 2018: She was the first celebrity to wear a dress designed by Harvey Weinstein’s ex-wife, after numerous women accused him of sexual assault the previous October. Many other celebrities stopped wearing the brand Marchesa. 

July 2018: The actress accepted a role as a transgender man in Rub & Tug. The LGBTQ+ community and allies argued the role should have been given to a transgender man and not a cisgender woman. Johannson later dropped the project ‘in light of the recent ethical questions’. 

July 2019: She said that actors should be able to play whatever role they want, saying that ‘an an actor I should be allowed to play any person, or any tree, or any animal because that is my job and the requirements of my job’.   

September 2019: The actress defended close friend Woody Allen after Dylan Farrow’s sexual abuse allegations against him. She said that she believed Woody and would work with him anytime. 

March 2021: She said actors shouldn’t be expected to hold social or political responsibilities. She said: ‘Some people want to, but the idea that you’re obligated to because you’re in the public eye is unfair. You didn’t choose to be a politician, you’re an actor.’ 

Source: insider.com 

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Johansson’s lawsuit claims that Disney wanted to steer audiences toward Disney+, ‘where it could keep the revenues for itself while simultaneously growing the Disney+ subscriber base, a proven way to boost Disney’s stock price.’

‘Second, Disney wanted to substantially devalue Ms. Johansson´s agreement and thereby enrich itself,’ the lawsuit said.

According to the complaint, Johansson’s agents tried to renegotiate her contract after learning of the dual-release strategy for Black Widow, but Disney and Marvel were unresponsive.

The suit states that Johansson feared a streaming release as early as 2019, and that Marvel execs assured her that the film would be put out in a traditional theatrical model.

‘We understand that should the plan change, we would need to discuss this with you and come to an understanding as the deal is based on a series of (very large) box office bonuses,’ Marvel Chief Counsel Dave Galluzzi told Johansson’s agents in a May 2019 email included in the lawsuit. 

The suit comes at a pivotal moment for the film industry, as more major studios experiment with releasing movies simultaneously online and in theaters.

In response to the pandemic, Warner Bros. decided to release its full slate of movies this year on HBO Max on the same day that they hit theaters.

Parent company AT&T, which owns both Warner Bros. and HBO, appears pleased with the formula and plans to extend it.

Last week, WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar revealed that in 2022 Warner Bros. will be producing 10 films that will debut on HBO Max the same day they’re released.

Disney also moved toward simultaneous streaming release of movies due to the pandemic.

Multiple stars and directors have pushed back on the shift to streaming service releases because they cut into the much larger profits that come from traditional months-long exclusive theater runs.  

Warner Bros. and WarnerMedia was forced to pay more than $200million to talent up front last year to compensate for filmmakers’ loss of traditional profit participation after it chose to release movies on HBO Max at no additional cost to consumers.  

And in May it was reported that A Quiet Place II director John Krasinki and star Emily Blunt demanded more money from Paramount Pictures after its parent company ViacomCBS put the film on Paramount+ 45 after its theatrical release.

Could Scarlett spark a Hollywood uprising? Star’s lawsuit could inspire others whose films were released via streaming to launch their own battles 

Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney raises questions over whether other major stars could follow her lead and launch their own legal attacks over compensation after a year where the pandemic drove many studios to abandon traditional cinema releases. 

The suit comes at a pivotal moment for the film industry, as more major studios experiment with releasing movies simultaneously online and in theaters.

In response to the pandemic, Warner Bros. decided to release its full slate of movies this year on HBO Max on the same day that they hit theaters.

Parent company AT&T, which owns both Warner Bros. and HBO, appears pleased with the formula and plans to extend it.

Last week, WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar revealed that in 2022 Warner Bros. will be producing 10 films that will debut on HBO Max the same day they’re released.

Disney also moved toward simultaneous streaming release of movies due to the pandemic.

Multiple stars and directors have pushed back on the shift to streaming service releases because they cut into the much larger profits that come from traditional months-long exclusive theater runs.  

Warner Bros. and WarnerMedia was forced to pay more than $200million to talent up front last year to compensate for filmmakers’ loss of traditional profit participation after it chose to release movies on HBO Max at no additional cost to consumers.  

And in May it was reported that A Quiet Place II director John Krasinki and star Emily Blunt demanded more money from Paramount Pictures after its parent company ViacomCBS put the film on Paramount+ 45 after its theatrical release.

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