According to the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, the simultaneous release drove audiences to the streaming platform, lessening box office receipts. Deadline reported that Johansson’s compensation for the Marvel movie was “largely … based on box office receipts,” which included bonuses for her if it hit certain monetary milestones.
“Black Widow,” which was released July 9, earned $80 million in North American theaters on opening day and another $78 million. The movie took in $60 million on Disney+.
The Wall Street Journal, which broke the news about the lawsuit, cited unnamed sources, which said Johansson lost out on $50 million in bonuses due to Disney’s decision to release the film simultaneously on the streaming platform.
“Disney chose to placate Wall Street investors and pad its bottom line, rather than allow its subsidiary Marvel to comply with the agreement,” the lawsuit says. “To no one’s surprise, Disney breach of the agreement successfully pulled millions of fans away from the theaters and toward its Disney+ streaming service.”
