Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney: Why Executives Profit From Streaming But Creatives Don’t



[ad_1]

Scarlett Johansson made headlines Thursday when she sued Disney for its day-and-date release of “Black Widow” on Disney + and in theaters, citing breach of contract.

Since the complaint was filed, Disney has fought back in a strong statement and the move caused waves in the entertainment community, with rumors circulating that “Cruella” star Emma Stone who had a similar outing was considering filing. his own complaint.

Such a day-and-date release – which was also used for the debuts of “Mulan” and more recently of “Jungle Cruise” – was carried out initially due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has suspended film releases for. months.

Subscribers to the popular streamer had to pay an additional $ 30 on top of their subscription fees to see the movie if they chose not to go to the theaters.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON ENTERS INTO PROCEEDINGS FOR THE BROADCASTING OF “BACK WIDOW” ON DISNEY +

As the situation potentially gets more intense for the Mouse House, here’s why executives are making money from streaming releases, but stars like Johansson aren’t.

Scarlett Johansson cited a breach of contract in a lawsuit against Disney over the date and date release of “Black Widow”. (Jay Maidment / Marvel Studios-Disney via AP, AP files / images)

Mega blockbusters with prominent stars in the lead roles are often subject to backend deals that see the stars earning a second salary if the film exceeds a certain amount, according to Time.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is well known for using such practices with Robert Downey Jr. himself negotiating outlier deals that consistently put him on the highest paid lists for years.

Actions in this article

Johansson, 36, said in court documents that her salary for the film was tied to box office performance in the same way and that a theatrical release was guaranteed in her contract, leaving her out of $ 50million. dollars thanks to many viewers choosing to see the film at home rather than in theaters – despite the film’s impressive box office performance anyway.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON’S AGENT SLAMS DISNEY FOR ATTACKING HIS CHARACTER, ARMING $ 20M CHECK

While Johansson may have missed out on large sums of money, executives probably didn’t.

Barely two years old, Disney + has surpassed the expected number of subscribers a few times and has proven to be a rival to big, newbie competitors like HBO Max.

Additionally, the streamer has seen an increase in subscriptions and app downloads which have been largely attributed to the addition of popular titles like ‘Hamilton’ of 2020.

Johansson claimed she missed at least $ 50 million in bonuses due to her box office performances. (Marvel Studios / Disney via AP, File / AP Images)

It is not common for streaming services to share exact numbers, but in a moment of pride, Disney announced that they made $ 60 million from Disney + purchases of the film, by Variety, which saw its stock prices rise shortly thereafter. The announcement of the day-to-date release of “Black Widow” also gave the action a boost, meaning executives and shareholders are getting a paycheck.

Such successes almost certainly fill the pockets of Disney bigwigs like CEO Bob Chapek and his teammates overseeing Disney +, who has gone to great lengths to grow exponentially by creating titles like exclusive “Soul” and “Luca”. to the streamer, as well as developing several shows that fall under the Marvel and Star Wars Umbrellas – two of the highest-grossing labels owned by the company.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT FOX BUSINESS

The exact paychecks given to executives – and whether they got bonuses based on movie performances – are unclear.

[ad_2]

Source link