Scarlett Johansson sues Disney over streaming of Black Widow

New Delhi : Scarlett Johansson has sued Disney for the breach of contract as it streamed her superhero movie 'Black Widow' online at the same time as its cinema release.

The film set a box office record for the Covid-19 pandemic, grossing $218m (£157m) in its first weekend.

Soon after that the earning fell drastically and Ms Johansson argues she was deprived of potential earnings.

Meanwhile, Disney has responded by saying that it had "fully complied" with her contract and that her case had "no merit whatsoever".

Ms Johansson said she was promised by Marvel Studios, which is owned by Disney, that Black Widow would be a "theatrical release".

She said she had understood this to mean a "window" of time would pass before it would be streamed - a period that has traditionally lasted 90 days.

Amid pandemic situation across the world, many production houses have bypassed cinema halls and released their movies on online platforms.

On its first weekend, Black Widow took some $80m in ticket sales in North America and $78m internationally, plus at least $60m in Disney+ Premier Access rentals.

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