Several notable figures in the entertainment industry have shared their perspectives on Scarlett Johansson's ongoing lawsuit against Disney over the release strategy of Black Widow, with the media conglomerate's ex-CEO Bob Iger reportedly weighing in. Now, another CEO has weighed in.
Netflix's co-CEO and chief content officer Ted Sarandos provided his take on the Black Widow lawsuit during a recent conference at the Beverly Hilton. For the most part, his words were fairly neutral. He explained, "I watch these things as a spectator — I would have said this or said that. I'm fortunate that we have not been in those shoes." However, he concluded by stating, "Talent has to be respected and compensated."
Johansson is suing Disney because her contract reportedly stipulated Black Widow would receive a "typical wide release." The lawsuit states that when the company decided to use a dual-release strategy -- premiering the film both in theaters and on Disney+ Premium Access -- without allowing her the opportunity to renegotiate her deal, it violated their agreement. Many have argued the actor lost more than $50 million dollars in bonuses because of the decision.
While the filing of the lawsuit itself garnered much media attention, when Disney responded by describing the lawsuit as having "no merit" and suggested Johansson was callous to "the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," a media firestorm started. Since then, several institutions in the entertainment industry have spoken up in defense of Johansson, heavily criticizing Disney in the process. For example, Women In Film, Time's Up and Reframe released a joint statement, calling the company's response a "gendered attack."
Multiple actors have explicitly confirmed their support for Johansson as well, including her Marvel Cinematic Universe co-star Elizabeth Olsen. The Scarlet Witch actor expressed her admiration, stating, "I think she's so tough and literally when I read that I was like, 'good for you Scarlett.'" Similarly, veteran actor Jamie Lee Curtis praised Johansson for standing up against Disney's "manipulation." It is apparent the Black Widow actor has a large backing amongst her colleagues and other industry professionals, and based on his above statements, it appears Sarandos is a part of their ranks.
While the lawsuit is still ongoing -- despite Disney's recent attempts to settle it through confidential arbitration -- Johansson's actions have seemingly already caused impactful changes at the media conglomerate. During the Goldman Sachs 30th Annual Communacopia Conference, Disney's current CEO Bob Chapek described how the company has completely overhauled its contract policy, describing the process as a "reset."
Black Widow can be purchased on digital storefronts for $19.99 and will be available to stream for all Disney+ subscribers starting Oct. 6.
Source: Deadline