.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=570&dpr=1.5)
Scarlett Johansson asked for $100 million after Disney announced Black Widow would be streaming on Disney+ as well as releasing in theaters.
After holding off for as long as they possibly could during the pandemic, certain studios started to release blockbuster movies on streaming services. The worldwide closure of movie theaters forced their hands, and even when the world started to open back up, some opted to release movies at the cinema as well as making them available at home for an additional fee.
Disney opted to do that with Black Widow, releasing the MCU movie on Disney+ at the same time it hit theaters in certain parts of the world. It quickly became public that the movie's star Scarlett Johansson wasn't happy with that decision. Or, more accurately, wasn't happy about the decision to be paid the same cut of box office takings despite the changes.
New details have come to light via the Wall Street Journal regarding how much money Johansson wanted for the change in strategy. A cool $100 million. $80 million of that is based on the $1.2 billion Johansson's legal team estimate the movie would have made at the box office had it hit theaters before the world was gripped by a pandemic. Plus, a $20 million starting salary, bringing it up to the $100 million figure.
According to the report, the $100 million figure was actually just a starting point. However, Disney never came back with a counteroffer resulting in negotiations between the two parties not even getting off the ground. Disney claims a mixup as to who was going to deal with the negotiations is the reason why Johansson was never offered a deal in reaction to what she and her team offered up.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek handed off the responsibility to others as he was busy leading the company through a pandemic. Those who Chapek handed off the task to allegedly didn't return calls and emails from Johansson's team. That has resulted in the rather public back and forth unfolding right now. As for what Johansson actually received for her final appearance as Black Widow, a cut of the movie's $372 million at the box office, one of the worst-performing MCU movies ever thanks to the pandemic, plus the $60 million made via people paying for the movie through Disney+ Premier Access.