Black Widow | July 9 2021 | ScarJo secures the bag from Disney

[Saul Goodman]

Really scammy move by Disney...

Go Scarlett!

[TigerPaw]

29 minutes ago, Jiffy said:

Idk how sympathetic people will be to Disney in this scenario. 

Disney is a corporate, they don't need sympathy. Ppl can scold all they want but will still pay for the next live action remakes + MCU + Star War films. Lol. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the people screaming at them are D+ subscribers.

 

21 minutes ago, Movie nerd said:

It's obvious why she has waited with lawsuit, now after film is out and has performed for several weeks in Box Office, she has an actual data and numbers to prove the actual harm Disney's release strategy did to its theatrical performance and in result to her back end Box Office bonuses. 

You can't sue someone before an actual harm happens. Only after. 

Actual figures in terms of current gross, but her estimated loss of 50 million is based on a hypothetical figure - assuming that the film didn't have a simultaneous release.

 

The truth is that no one knows how it would have performed with just 1 factor (streaming taken out), there are other factors like lack of China release, delta impacting closures and restrictions (and even sentiment) in many countries, film WoM etc... Her team can say they expected 1 billion without streaming but we know streaming is not the only factor.

Edited July 29, 2021 by TigerPaw

[WittyUsername]

I guess WB isn’t the only studio that’s been pissing off people in Hollywood. 

[Joel M]

good for her.

 

 

BW underperforming and at the same time Disney celebrating the 60m it did in disney+ gives her a pretty strong case.

[Krissykins]

53 minutes ago, Lion Roar said:

Honestly baffled as to why Disney didn't just buy out her backend like WB did for WW1984. Should have just amended her contract instead of offering nothing. She's in the right here, Disney should pay.

Exactly this. 
 

Good for her. 

[Valonqar]

I just want to remind everyone that this was in the works well before the movie came out and we only now got the announcement. So speculation that she only decided after the movie underperformed doesn't hold. Her layers must have been on it ever since Disney announced the hybrid release but they are ready now.

[SpiderByte]

5 minutes ago, Valonqar said:

I just want to remind everyone that this was in the works well before the movie came out and we only now got the announcement. So speculation that she only decided after the movie underperformed doesn't hold. Her layers must have been on it ever since Disney announced the hybrid release but they are ready now.

You're likely right, but the timing will make it seem that way to a lot of people. But I think this gets settled very quickly.

[Macleod]

The really interesting bit to me is:

 

Even before the pandemic, Ms. Johansson was concerned that “Black Widow” could end up on Disney+ as part of its wide release. In 2019, Ms. Johansson’s representatives reached out to Marvel seeking assurance that “Black Widow” would have a theatrical-only release, according to the complaint.

 

In a March 2019 email included in the suit, Marvel Chief Counsel Dave Galluzzi said the release would be according to a traditional theatrical model, adding, “We understand that should the plan change, we would need to discuss this with you and come to an understanding as the deal is based on a series of (very large) box office bonuses.”

 

Disney/Marvel corporate clearly decided to adopt a 'wait and see' approach following this exchange, and if the movie would have had a subsequent few great weekends, I bet SJ wouldn't have filed a case, even if they had the suit ready to go.  But the evidence is now clearly there.  She deserves to get PAAAIIIIID.  And yes, it will set precedent for these kinds of circumstances.  Warners/ATT did it, Disney can and will pay up, too.  

Edited July 29, 2021 by Macleod

[OdinSon2k14]

She'll likely get a nice settlement. As far as future work with Disney 🙂...

Edited July 29, 2021 by OdinSon2k14

[TwoMisfits]

3 hours ago, TigerPaw said:

I am genuinely surprised why she didn't sue earlier? PA was announced months ago....

 

Yeah I meant i read the article and her side claimed Disney weren't responsive, however did she take a wait-and-see approach to see how this does; and now when it doesn't do well - is finally reacting?

 

You have to see what damages will be - now, it's pretty certain what this is making...and what smaller salary she will be getting vs what she expected...

[keysersoze123]

Its not just Scarlet. Pixar animators are not happy either. Normally they get paid if the movies do well in BO but with direct to D+, they get nothing. Disney can eat the loss as part of investment into D+ but its hard on folks who work on these movies. So I hope Scarlet gets her payout. Anyway she is done with MCU and there is no cost to suing Disney. 

 

https://www.indiewire.com/2021/04/pixar-staff-slams-disney-moving-films-streaming-1234633910/

 

 

[filmlover]

Jungle Cruise this weekend is likely going to be the end of the theater/D+ PA experiment with this development (also doubt Disney reports how it does on D+ after doing so for Black Widow is likely what got themselves into this). Encanto is probably the only remaining movie likely to go that route since Shang-Chi is locked in for 45 days in theaters only (and one has to imagine Eternals will have the same plan).

[filmlover]

Disney Fires Back at Scarlett Johansson, Calls ‘Black Widow’ Suit ‘Sad and Distressing’ https://t.co/p84kSN5tVA

— Variety (@Variety) July 29, 2021

[TwoMisfits]

1 minute ago, filmlover said:

 

Yep, Scarlett is gonna win, and win big...

[OdinSon2k14]

Oh...Disney is painting this as greed, in the middle of a global pandemic...

[dudalb]

17 minutes ago, TwoMisfits said:

 

Yep, Scarlett is gonna win, and win big...

And when did you pass the bar exam?

Me, I will wait for the facts to come out before choosing sides.

Of course I will supsect this will end in a out of court settlement.

This kind of lawsuit happend in Hollywood all the time.

[dudalb]

13 minutes ago, OdinSon2k14 said:

Oh...Disney is painting this as greed, in the middle of a global pandemic...

That did make me laugh. Yeah, I am sure Scarlett is motivated quite a bit by greed, but so id Disney. . Pot callling the kettle black.

[TwoMisfits]

7 minutes ago, dudalb said:

And when did you pass the bar exam?

Me, I will wait for the facts to come out before choosing sides.

Of course I will supsect this will end in a out of court settlement.

This kind of lawsuit happend in Hollywood all the time.

 

A settlement is a win by definition...after filing a lawsuit, if one has more (money, rights, etc) than one started with upon the lawsuit's completion, they have won...it's only a matter of how big...

 

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by TwoMisfits

[AJG]

24 minutes ago, dudalb said:

And when did you pass the bar exam?

Me, I will wait for the facts to come out before choosing sides.

Of course I will supsect this will end in a out of court settlement.

This kind of lawsuit happend in Hollywood all the time.

Everything about the Disney response gives me a “they (Disney) will win comfortably” vibe and they know it. 
 

I’m guessing they’ll settle so they don’t have their business put out in the street. They’ll want all their analytics and numbers secret.

Edited July 29, 2021 by AJG

[jimisawesome]

35 minutes ago, filmlover said:

 

How disgusting do you have to be to argue a huge corporation with a maketcap north of 300 billion dollars is somehow the victim by using the over half million dead in the US and millions world wide.  This company that was bragging about their subscriber growth and engagement numbers though out the pandemic.  There are levels to this but the spokesperson here took it to a new uglier one.