Scarlett Johansson has expressed her relief after reaching a settlement with Disney regarding her lawsuit.
The 36-year-old actress sued Walt Disney Studios earlier this year, alleging the company breached its contract with her by releasing Marvel blockbuster Black Widow on its streaming platform, Disney Plus, rather than having an exclusive theatrical release.
Announcing the end to their legal dispute, Johansson said in a statement: ‘I am happy to have resolved our differences. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team.
‘I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come.’
Alan Bergman, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, added: ‘We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects, including Disney’s Tower of Terror.’
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed by either party.
Johansson played the character of Black Widow in eight Marvel films, including the Avengers series before the standalone movie was released in July.
As well as starring in the movie, Johansson also served as a producer and her potential earnings were tied to its box office performance.
Disney opted for a hybrid release when cinemas in major markets remained closed due to the Covid pandemic.
Following a delay in release of more than a year due to the pandemic, Black Widow earned more than $378million (£280m) at the box office – a chunk of which came from Disney Plus.
It was later revealed that Johansson had been paid $20million (£14.9m) for the film.
Originally responding to the lawsuit, a Disney spokesperson said in a stinging statement previously: ‘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 $20M she has received to date.’
In response, Johansson’s lawyer John Berlinski said: ‘After initially responding to this litigation with a misogynistic attack against Scarlett Johansson, Disney is now, predictably, trying to hide its misconduct in a confidential arbitration.’
‘The company included her salary in their press statement in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman, as if that were something she should be ashamed of.’
Johansson has been taking time out of the spotlight in recent weeks after welcoming her first child with husband Colin Jost in August. She is already mum to six-year-old daughter Rose with her ex-husband Romain Dauriac.
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