Johansson, Disney settle lawsuit over release of ‘Black Widow’

Actress Scarlett Johansson reached a settlement with The Walt Disney Co. in her blockbuster lawsuit alleging the entertainment giant breached her contract by releasing her latest Marvel film “Black Widow” on the Disney+ streaming service despite assurances it would debut only in theaters.

Details of the settlement were not released.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter and other trade outlets, Johansson said, “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 for years to come.”

Alan Bergman, chairman of Disney Studios Content, added 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.”‘

Johansson claimed in her lawsuit that her contract for “Black Widow” specified that the film would be released exclusively in theaters, and her salary for the film was based on that expectation.

The film, however, was released concurrently in theaters and on the Disney+ streaming service.

Disney blasted the lawsuit when it was filed, saying it showed “callous disregard” for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on theaters, while insisting that Johansson had earned compensation based on revenue from the Disney+ Premier Access fees required to watch the film on the streaming service.

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