AKIRA

By now most have heard of the ongoing battle between the award winning actress, Scarlett Johansson, and Disney. Last week, it was announced that Johansson would be suing the mass media company over the amount of money she’s owed due to her newly anticipated film ‘Black Widow.’

The film, which was delayed due to Covid-19, was finally released in July 2021 and its box office success was tied to Johansson’s salary. Although, she received $20 million, which falls short of the $75 million Robert Downey Jr. made from ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ it was not the full amount she could’ve amassed had Covid not occurred. Due to the pandemic, a large number of movies have been released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming services, including ‘Black Widow.’ However, Johanssons issue is that the bulk of earnings are tied to the box office and since Disney also released on their streaming service, Disney+, it has affected how much she has made on the backend. There were benchmarks that the movie needed to make in order for Johansson to receive her bonuses and since the dual release, she most likely won’t get them. Disney did not adjust her pay, nor did they inform her of the dual release. Three weeks after the movie hit theaters and Disney+, Johansson has taken action with a lawsuit prompting Disney’s response below:

“There is no merit whatsoever to this filing. The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Disney has fully complied with Ms. Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of ‘Black Widow’ on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date.”

A spokesperson for Johansson stated that representatives have tried to reach out to Disney to resolve the issue before it got to this point, but were ignored. Disney believes there is no merit, but why not? Disney has tried to taint her image by using the pandemic to make her appear to be non-empathetic and disclosing her salary, which in the business world is a big no-no and simply disrespectful, but they have also not compensated her accurately for the Disney+ sales. Regardless of whether a person is a fan or not, anyone who works on a project or does a service should be compensated fairly and that can be agreed on. Johansson’s lawsuit has also spurred action from actress Emma Stone, who is also considering suing Disney over her film Cruella, and Gerrard Butler, who is suing the producers of ‘Olympus has Fallen.’

Ethically, Disney should’ve adjusted Johansson’s contract to include benchmarks for the online streaming. Yes, the pandemic has affected millions, but just because you stand up for yourself during Covid doesn’t mean you don’t understand the gravity of the situation. Many people are freelancing and doing proper work, if you are promised a certain amount of money, regardless of what you have been paid, you’re going to want the rest of your money, especially if you know the person (Disney) can afford it. Now, I am no lawyer, but I’d like to believe that there is some merit to this lawsuit. However, we will just have to wait and see how this all plays out.