Jennifer Lawrence says Scarlett Johansson's recent battle with Disney surrounding the release of Black Widow was brave. The Natasha Romanoff actor entered into a lawsuit with the monolithic production company over a breach of contract (she believed that the decision to release the movie onto the streaming site Disney+ damaged the film's box office potential). Johansson alleged that the contract she had signed promised an exclusive theatrical release for the film. The decision to simultaneously release onto streaming deprived her of box office performance bonuses, the lawsuit claimed. The Johansson-Disney suit was settled in September, with reports suggesting that Disney will compensate the actor around $40 million.
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‘Black Widow’ is the first, long-awaited solo adventure for the original Avenger after years of calls. Florence Pugh starred as Yelena Belova, Romanoff's newly reunited sister, who has to go on the run with Johansson's superhero to evade the hunt of the pairs of ex-KGB trainers and operatives. Black Widow accrued $370 million at the worldwide box office, placing it in the top ten highest-grossing movies of 2021 so far. However, the availability of the film through Disney+ reportedly cost the Black Widow actor $50 million in box-office rewards as none of the $30 premier access fee profit was included in her contract.
Following the resolution of the dispute, Jennifer Lawrence has voiced her support for Johansson in a recent interview with Vanity Fair, calling her actions "brave" and Disney's as "unfair."
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