Nostalgia hits: Scarlett Johansson's legal showdown with Disney over 'Black Widow'.

In a blast from the recent past, it's hard to forget the headlines swirling around Scarlett Johansson and her legal tussle with the entertainment giant, Disney. The conflict? Disney's dual release strategy for the blockbuster movie 'Black Widow', both in theatres and on their streaming platform, Disney+.

Scarlett's lawsuit: A box office promise broken?

'Black Widow' made quite the entry, raking in an impressive $80 million on its opening weekend. A number that not only reflected the film's anticipation but also made it the biggest box office hit during the ongoing pandemic. But what followed was a steep plunge in the box office numbers. Experts in the industry speculated that Disney+ might have been the culprit, allowing audiences to give theatres a miss and enjoy the movie from the comfort of their homes.

Also Read: Marvel's Black Widow: Scarlett Johansson’s unexpected choices that defined the cinematic journey 

Scarlett, apart from dazzling on-screen, also wore the hat of an executive producer for 'Black Widow'. In her lawsuit, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, she pointed out that her contract with Disney's Marvel Entertainment was explicit in promising an exclusive theatrical release. "Her agreement with Disney's Marvel Entertainment guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release and based her salary in part on the film's box office performance."

Disney's defense: A changed industry landscape

In a sharp rebuttal, a spokesperson for Disney was quoted by Entertainment Weekly stating the company was well within its rights and had adhered to Johansson's contract. They also highlighted that the move to stream 'Black Widow' on Disney+ with Premier Access had amplified her earning potential, especially considering the "$20M she has received to date."

The pandemic undoubtedly sent the entertainment industry into a tizzy, with longstanding norms of exclusive theatrical releases being thrown out the window. Some, like the action-packed F9 and the much-awaited James Bond film 'No Time to Die', chose to postpone their releases, sticking to the conventional path. In contrast, other movies like Pixar's 'Soul' transitioned directly to streaming platforms.

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Interestingly, WarnerMedia, in a bid to push HBO Max, decided on a simultaneous cinema and streaming release for its titles, but not without recalibrating its talent contracts. They reportedly dished out more than $200 million to placate their stars and directors.

Scarlett's persistent quest for fairness

The highlight of Johansson's grievance was her attempts to rework her contract, which, according to her, met with silence from both Disney and Marvel.

In retrospect, while the dust around this dispute may have settled, it underscored a critical inflection point in Hollywood's evolution, bridging traditional cinema and the burgeoning world of streaming.

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)