Why The Scarlett Johansson vs Disney Lawsuit Is About More Than Just One Actor

The dispute between Disney and Scarlett Johansson could have a huge impact on the movie industry. 

Privileged, wealthy, selfish — these are all words that have been thrown at Scarlett Johansson in the wake of her dispute with Disney, not least by the Mouse’s own lawyers. Media coverage has focused on Johansson herself, but this dispute could set a precedent that could define the future of the movie industry with the rise of digital streaming. 

Disney Changed The Rules of The Game Mid-Play

Let’s set aside Johansson herself for the moment and look at what actually happened. A film studio contractually agreed that a large portion of a star’s compensation would come from box office receipts. 

So far, so normal. It is common for actors to accept a smaller upfront fee in exchange for more profits down the line, especially in the case of big blockbusters. 

There was just one problem: COVID-19. 

When the pandemic hit, it caused a series of lockdowns and one of the worst-affected industries was the film industry. With theatres closed, it was not possible for film studios to launch new releases. 

Even as the pandemic eased, it became clear that it was risky to plan any in-theatre launches. To get around this, some studios opted for hybrid or online-only releases. One of these studios is Disney, which owns Marvel Studios. 

Upon discovering that Disney was planning a hybrid release of Johansson’s new Marvel film, Black Widow, the actor’s team allegedly approached Disney on multiple occasions to renegotiate the contract. Disney elected not to engage in talks and said that they were still planning on a full theatrical release. 

Instead, they pushed ahead with a hybrid release that netted Disney $60 million on its first weekend alone. These profits would not be shared with Johansson or any other team member who had an agreement based on box office revenues. 

Johansson’s Lawsuit Could Set a Key Precedent 

In short: Disney cheated many of the people who have worked on Black Widow — to the tune of billions of dollars. They also set a precedent that movie studios can change their release strategies and deprive their contractors and employees of hard-earned profits. 

This fact makes Johansson’s lawsuit — and Disney’s spurious rejection of it — so important. Disney is working hard to paint Johansson as a spoiled actor seeking to squeeze every cent out of a studio just trying to work in the pandemic. 

Disney is already campaigning to ensure that public opinion is in their court. If the company is able to suppress Johansson’s lawsuit, they will have ample ammunition to ensure that they are able to cut others out of their profits too. 

Johansson is most certainly not launching this legal challenge out of self-interest. In fact, it could help countless other smaller stakeholders too. Johansson has the means to fight a drawn-out battle with Disney’s lawyers that many other people who worked on Black Widow cannot. 

If Johansson is able to secure a settlement for herself, it will be significantly easier for others to launch (and win) their own challenges. Most importantly, a win in court will prevent the precedent that studios do not need to honour their contractual agreements. I am hopeful that Disney will see sense and fairly compensate everyone who worked on Black Widow, but without Johansson’s lawsuit they certainly wouldn’t.