Benedict Cumberbatch, star of Strange doctor in the multiverse of madness, has filed a lawsuit filed by Scarlett Johansson, its co-star of the Marvel movies, against the Walt Disney Company, alleging that the company unfairly deprived it of revenue when they refused to count premium VOD rental money as a “box office”. The lawsuit alleges that since Disney unilaterally decided on a release date and date model for theaters and Disney +, they had a responsibility to protect their salary, which was largely based on the money the film earned. movie at the box office. According to Johansson’s lawsuit, his contract included language that required the film to have a standard time window for theater only.
Disney’s response has been to blame the extraordinary circumstances of the covid-19 pandemic for the decision and fight Johansson in public opinion court. His initial response to the lawsuit did not address the merits of his argument, but rather the ethics of filing a lawsuit in the current context, stating that he had already made a lot of money and that the lawsuit was “especially sad and distressing. its disregard for the terrible and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 “pandemic.
“It’s sad what’s going on between the lawyers,” Cumberbatch said The Hollywood Reporter. “Just the verb and the accusations of, ‘Put it in the context of a global pandemic.’ It’s all a bit messy. which is Disney.And you have to hire.How is the normal compensation of an artist with box office bonuses, how does it work? It’s a new paradigm and it’s very complex.No one saw this coming and no one should use the retrospective look to say, “Well, it should have been done.” This was the first of these films to be released during the pandemic and stalled.
Of course, Johansson’s people are likely to be quick to point out that there are many other people. did see this and answer in kind. Studies such as Warner Bros. and Paramount have reportedly proactively renegotiated contracts prior to the release of digital day and date versions, anticipating complications that would arise from the situation and nullifying potential losses as a cost of doing business for to its new transmission services. The crux of Johansson’s argument seems to be that Disney is quite unique when it comes to asking talent to bear those costs.
Strange doctor in the multiverse of madness is expected to hit theaters on March 25, 2022. Meanwhile, the Marvel 2021 lineup includes Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings, now in theaters, What if …, which launches new episodes at Disney + on Wednesdays, Eternals in theaters on November 5, Hawkeye at Disney + on November 24 and Spider-Man: No Way Home in theaters on December 17th.