Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over the release of Black Widow on streaming at the same time as in theaters. This negatively affected her fee

'Black Widow' actress Scarlett Johansson has filed a lawsuit against Disney in Los Angeles.

The reason for the lawsuit was the simultaneous release of the film both in theaters and on the Disney+ streaming platform, which negatively affected the box office.

As emphasized in the lawsuit, Marvel guaranteed Johansson the exclusive release of "Black Widow" in theaters. Johansson's fee for the film was tied to the box office.

• Black Widow was originally scheduled to hit theaters in May 2020, but has been pushed back several times due to the pandemic. Disney ended up releasing the film on July 9, 2021, both in theaters and on Disney.
• The film grossed $80 million in the US on its opening weekend, but only $26 million on its second weekend, marking the worst second-week drop in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The US National Association of Theater Owners attributed the decline in profits to the release of the film on Disney+.