How did Scarlett Johansson's lawsuit against Disney change Hollywood?

A battle over Black Widow's streaming release rewrote the rules for how actors get paid.

The answer

On July 29, 2021, Scarlett Johansson sued Disney, alleging that the simultaneous Disney+ release of Black Widow breached her contract, which guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release and tied her compensation to box office performance. Disney's aggressive public response, calling the suit 'callous' during a pandemic, drew industry-wide backlash. The case settled on September 30, 2021, for a reported $40 million - Johansson had initially sought $50 million. The lawsuit's impact was seismic: studios began restructuring talent contracts to account for streaming revenue, and Marvel largely abandoned simultaneous streaming releases in favor of exclusive theatrical windows. Johansson later said the suit helped 'move everything in the right direction' for actors' compensation.

Source: Variety

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