Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Photo / Supplied
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Photo / Supplied
Scarlett Johansson's lawyers have blasted Disney amid the actress' lawsuit alleging a breach of her contract over the release of Black Widow.
In the latest development after the blockbuster star filed a lawsuit last month, Disney filed a motion with the Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday to move the lawsuit to binding arbitration in New York, People reports, citing legal documents.
In pushing for arbitration, Disney is attempting to resolve the matter privately instead of going to court.
Johansson's lawyer John Berlinski has issued a furious statement amid Disney's move, accusing the media company of trying to hide its "misconduct".
"After initially responding to this litigation with a misogynistic attack against Scarlett Johansson, Disney is now, predictably, trying to hide its misconduct in a confidential arbitration," Berlinski said.
Johansson says she missed out on millions of dollars in earnings because of how Disney released the film. Photo / Supplied
"Why is Disney so afraid of litigating this case in public? Because it knows that Marvel's promises to give Black Widow a typical theatrical release 'like its other films' had everything to do with guaranteeing that Disney wouldn't cannibalise box office receipts in order to boost Disney+ subscriptions.
"Yet that is exactly what happened — and we look forward to presenting the overwhelming evidence that proves it."
Johansson, 36, alleged in her lawsuit that the debut of her solo Marvel film Black Widow on Disney's streaming platform, Disney+, was a breach of her contract. It's understood she claims to have lost more than $67 million in earnings as a result.
"Disney intentionally induced Marvel's breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms Johansson from realising the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel," the lawsuit read.
This image released by Marvel Studios shows Scarlett Johansson in a scene from Black Widow. Photo / Supplied
But Disney swiftly hit back at her claims, saying Johansson was displaying a "callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic."
"Disney has fully complied with Ms Johansson's contract and furthermore, the release of Black Widow on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date," a Disney spokesperson said.
It comes after Johansson welcomed a baby boy, Cosmo, with her husband Colin Jost last week.
