As we’ve previously shared, The Walt Disney Company and Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson have not been on the best terms since the actress recently sued the company claiming the loss of income due to the release of her feature film in movie houses and on demand simultaneously. However, according to a new report, we have a better inclination as to why the actress is pursuing conglomerate as it’s been shared that the star reportedly tried to negotiate a deal with the house of mouse to receive $100 million for the MCU movie.
The news comes from a report by The Wall Street Journal, which states the rate of $100 mill was “…based on what the star would receive in a hypothetical global box-office take of $1.2 billion,” which was a sum that was estimated based on Marvel’s past theatrical releases before the COVID-19 pandemic. This was in addition to Johansson’s base $20 million salary for her role in the movie.
According to the same report, this $100 million figure was considered a “starting bid” after it was determined that Black Widow would be released on Premiere Access on Disney+ in addition to theaters. Although, negotiations are said to never have made it off the ground as Disney never made a counteroffer.
The report says that one of the reasons the contract negotiations fell apart was because of uncertainty over who should lead the discussion. Reportedly, Disney CEO Bob Chapek was focusing on pandemic-related matters and passed the deal-making power to others in the organization. Unfortunately, it seems no decisions were ever made, which left Johansson in limbo.
Disney later responded to Johansson’s lawsuit, claiming they had “fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract” and that Black Widow’s release on Disney Plus Premier Access had actually “significantly enhanced” the star’s ability to earn “additional compensation on top of the $20M” she received as her starting salary for Natasha Romanoff’s solo outing.
What are your thoughts on this situation? How can Disney remedy this situation with Scarlett Johansson?
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