Scarlett Johansson Returning To Work With Disney And Marvel?
Scarlett Johansson may not be done with Disney just yet.
This article is more than 2 years old
The Black Widow star may have won the payout that she rightfully fought for, but she still may be required to work with Disney even after their turbulent legal battle. It has been reported that Scarlett Johansson may be contractually linked to Disney’s Tower of Terror movie that holds ties to her lawsuit settlement. The Tower of Terror movie was announced a mere month before the actress took action against Black Widow‘s hybrid release, and could keep her attached to the project.
Puck News reported that Disney chairman Alan Bergman “knew that if he was gonna pay Johansson a chunk of her lost box office bonuses, he should roll the money into a deal for another Disney movie.” It is alleged that this is why Disney and Johansson mentioned Tower of Terror by name when announcing that their lawsuit has been resolved. “I am happy to have resolved our differences with Disney,” Johansson said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
Bergman released a statement that embraced similar sentiments that were said by Scarlett Johansson. “I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding Black Widow,” the chairman said, “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.”
The now-mended conflict between Disney and Scarlett Johansson first stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the former Marvel star over the hybrid release of Black Widow. Black Widow marked Scarlett Johansson’s ninth and final project within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which was given a dual-platform release between a traditional theatrical debut and through Disney+ Premier Access. Scarlett Johansson and her team argued that the decision made by Disney was a breach of the actress’s contract, alleging that there was the promise of an exclusive theatrical release of the movie. The claim was made that Scarlett Johansson lost $50 million in box office revenue.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings became a prime example when assisting Scarlett Johansson to win back her earnings in court, or a number close to what she could have cashed out with prior to the lawsuit. Shang-Chi raked in a surprising $387 million in box office profits, and in comparison, Black Widow pockets a hefty $379 million to date. The argument around box office profits being on the decline can be dismissed, as the two have earned a fairly close amount of moviegoers’ money. Though Shang-Chi has its Labor Day Weekend release to look to, it probably didn’t need the holiday weekend to stand on for its success.
Scarlett Johansson’s upcoming Tower of Terror claims its fame from the theme park ride of the same name, and it follows the same attraction-to-movie adaptation by Disney shared by similar rides such as Jungle Cruise or Pirates of the Caribbean. This is the second time that the Tower of Terror will star as the main attraction at the center of its own movie, this time, with Scarlett Johansson seemingly still on board to work on Disney’s next remake.
