Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney was something Hollywood insiders thought would change the course of talent contracts forever as streaming continues to become more commonplace amongst audiences. The suit was ultimately settled out of court with both sides reaching an agreement on what to pay Johansson after lost box office revenues by placing Black Widow on Disney+ the same day it hit theaters.
As it turns out, the box office performance of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings may have been a catalyst in helping push Disney to settle with Johansson and her team. According to industry insider Matthew Belloni, Shang-Chi‘s stellar gross helped Black Widow likely would have earned more money if it was kept exclusively as a theatrical release.
“It didn’t help Disney’s overall cause that Shang-Chi, a ‘lesser’ Marvel title starring a largely unknown actor that was released over the usually dormant Labor Day weekend, has stormed past Black Widow at the box office,” Belloni wrote on his blog. “The difference? Shang-Chi was a theatrical exclusive, of course. So that’s a point for Johansson.”
Comment