Scarlett Johansson sent shockwaves in Hollywood after filing a lawsuit against Disney for a breach of contract. According to the lawsuit, Scarlett Johansson was guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release yet many viewers could find the much-anticipated movie ‘Black Widow’ on Disney+. Disney+ viewers were able to avoid heading to the theatres by paying an additional fee and gaining access to Disney+ Premier Access.

In the lawsuit, Scarlett Johansson's team argues that due to the concurrent release on Disney's streaming platform, her expected share of box office receipts were significantly reduced. Disney shot back arguing that Scarlett Johansson has received US$20 million dollars in compensation and that the lawsuit has "no merit."

Scarlett Johansson's team at Creative Arts Agency (CAA), a high profile entertainment agency in Hollywood, fought back arguing that "Disney's direct attack on [Johansson's] character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades." Bryan Lourd, the co-chairman of CAA, went on to say that Disney choosing to reveal Johansson's salary was "an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and a businesswoman."

This isn't the first instance where Disney is under attack by artists for their management of movie production. Previously, Alan Dean Foster claimed that Disney withheld royalties related to Star Wars books after acquiring Lucasfilm. Unlike Foster's legal battle with Disney, Johansson's is expected to be widely publicized and dragged out, so stay tuned for more updates.