In a show of solidarity, Marvel star Elizabeth Olsen has come out in support of ‘Black Widow’ actress Scarlett Johansson and her lawsuit against Disney.
Olsen (Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff) was recently asked about the lawsuit during a Vanity Fair interview with ‘Ted Lasso’ star Jason Sudekis.
“I think she’s so tough and literally when I read [about the lawsuit] I was like, ‘Good for you Scarlett,’” Olsen shared. “When it comes to actors and their earnings, I mean, that’s just… that’s just all contracts. So it’s either in the contract or it’s not.”
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Sudekis agreed with Olsen, adding that the decision “is appropriately badass and on-brand” for Johansson.
Olsen also expressed concern that she is “worried about small movies getting the opportunity to be seen in theatres.”
She explained, “I like going to the movies and I don’t necessarily want to see only an Oscar contender or a blockbuster. I would like to see art films and art house theatre ... And so I do worry about that, and people having to keep these theatres alive. And I don’t know how financially that works for these theatres.”
In her complaint, Johansson alleges her contract was breached when the superhero film was released on streaming site Disney Plus. The actress earns bonuses when ‘Black Widow’ reaches certain box office performance markers and she accuses Disney of not having the film exclusively in theatres because it “saw the opportunity to promote its flagship subscription service.”
In the most recent developments between Disney and the ‘Black Widow’ star, the studio has demanded that the actress’ suit over her pay be moved to private arbitration. The filings came near midnight on Friday evening in Los Angeles Superior Court, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In Friday’s filing, Disney argued the complaint put forth by Johansson and Periwinkle Entertainment has “no merit.”
Disney has stressed that ‘Black Widow’ was put on more than 9,000 screens in the US, allegedly satisfying its obligation the film screen on no less than 1,500 (again, Johansson asserts it had to be exclusive), and according to the latest filing, as of August 15, ‘Black Widow’ has grossed more than $367 million in worldwide box office receipts and more than $125 million in streaming and download retail receipts.
Disney compared the ‘Black Widow’ release to other films in the Marvel canon, saying that the opening weekend take was “more than that of many other Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including ‘Thor: The Dark World’; ‘Ant-Man’; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’; and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.”
In a statement to USA Today, Johansson’s attorney John Berlinski, said, “Disney is now, predictably, trying to hide its misconduct in a confidential arbitration. Why is Disney so afraid of litigating this case in public?”
