[ad_1]
Scarlett Johansson recently sued Disney, the parent company of Marvel Studios, for choosing the simultaneous release model for her independent film Black Widow. She claims in the lawsuit that the film’s box office performance suffered from the release of Disney +. It is up to debate to know who is right. Maybe Disney wanted to increase subscriptions to its streaming service, or Johansson didn’t get the deal right.
The Wall Street Journal, which broke the story, reports that ScarJo lost up to $ 50 million in bonuses due to the simultaneous release.
Disney reacted harshly, opposing the lawsuit which he said had “no basis”. “The trial is particularly sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the statement continued.
Whatever the truth, it is strange that there is no Marvel actor standing up for Johansson. While Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige is “angry and embarrassed” according to The Hollywood Reporter, even he hasn’t spoken publicly.
This contrasts sharply with what happened when Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt was surrounded by allegations he was following a church known for its homophobia and hatred for the LGBTQ community.
Actor Elliot Page had said on Twitter that Pratt should respond to the charges against Hillsong Church. She later explained in another tweet which read, “If you are a famous actor and belong to an organization that hates a certain group of people, don’t be surprised if someone is just wondering why it is. not addressed. Being anti LGBTQ is wrong, there are not two sides. The damage it causes is serious. Complete stop. Send love to everyone.
Shortly after the allegations came to light, bigwigs like Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Renner and James Gunn expressed their support for Pratt.
Gunn, who directed Pratt in two GotG films, wrote, “Sorry. I just discovered this nonsense. Chris Pratt is the best guy in the world. I spent hours and hours sharing my deepest truths with this man, just like he did with me. Please stop assuming what he believes, politically or in any other way, because he is a Christian.
Downey Jr. was more passionate about his defense, writing on Instagram caption of a photo of the two of them, “What a world … The ‘sinless’ are throwing stones at my #brother, Chris Pratt … A real # Christian who lives by # principle, has never shown anything other than # positivity and # gratitude… AND he has just married into a family that makes room for civil discourse and (quite simply) INSISTS on it. service as the highest value. If you don’t agree with Chris I have a new idea. Delete your social media accounts, sit down with your OWN character flaws, work on them, then celebrate your humanity… @prattprattpratt I #gotyerbackbackback.
By comparison, there has not yet been a statement in favor of Johansson. Perhaps their potentially continued association with Disney for upcoming Marvel projects makes them reluctant to offend the media giant?
Yet one could argue that Johansson’s case is far more serious than mere accusations.
On the one hand, it sheds new light on how Hollywood actresses, regardless of their popularity, are always paid less than their male counterparts. It’s hard to imagine whether a Downey Jr or a Hemsworth should have taken legal action against Disney to get paid fairly.
Earlier, according to a 2013 Deadline report, Downey Jr. was considering leaving the role if Marvel Studios didn’t meet his salary requirements. According to the report, the actor had made around $ 70-80 million (Rs 5-6 billion) from the MCU’s first team-up film, The Avengers, and was looking to surpass that after the massive success of Iron Man 3.
He became the richest actor in the world according to Forbes in 2014 with $ 75 million. That same year (2014), Hemsworth was in fifth position on the list of highest paid actors.
Evans was not in the top 10, but he made it in 2019. He was placed at No. 10 on a list in which half were Marvel actors (the others being Downey Jr, Hemsworth, Bradley Cooper and Paul Rudd).
On the other hand, the lawsuit has reignited the debate between streaming and cinema that will define the industry over the next half decade. Many notable filmmakers decried the tendency of major studios to gain subscribers for their streaming series rather than prioritizing the theatrical model for their releases. In addition, the outcome of this lawsuit is likely to have a significant impact on how A-listers will be paid for their work in the future. While they wouldn’t want to speak for Scarlett Johansson, they can at least speak for themselves.
Gerard Butler, apparently in response to ScarJo’s lawsuit, sued the producers of Olympus Has Fallen, claiming he owes at least $ 10 million from the film’s worldwide box office success.
Johansson is one of the highest paid actors in the world, but it affects everyone who works in the film industry.
Either way, one thing is certain, Johansson’s colleagues in the Marvel movies are betraying her by not speaking out.
[ad_2]
Source link