Scarlett Johansson’s team-up gained another powerful ally with the Screen Actors Guild as she readies for a battle against The Walt Disney Company, the biggest studio in Hollywood. At issue is Disney’s decision to release Black Widow simultaneously in theaters and via streaming, which Johansson’s lawyers say was a lure to bulk up Disney+ subscribers at the cost of a potential $50 million in backend compensation for the actress. Her lawsuit suggests that the pandemic-sparked “pivot to streaming” found in many corners of the industry may be at odds with previously agreed upon deals that have not been accordingly adjusted.
After filing the suit in Los Angeles Superior Court last week, statements were issued in both directions. A Disney spokesperson said that “the lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Johansson’s agency CAA (the industry’s most powerful) showed they had her back when co-founder Bryan Lourd accused Disney of “shamelessly and falsely accused Ms. Johansson of being insensitive to the global COVID pandemic, in an attempt to make her appear to be someone they and I know she isn’t.” He’s added that the star had “earned Disney and its shareholders billions.”
The latest big voice to speak in Johansson’s defense is Gabrielle Carteris, the president of the SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) union.
“Disney should be ashamed of themselves for resorting to tired tactics of gender-shaming and bullying,” Carteris said in a statement, before applauding Johansson for “shining a white-hot spotlight on the improper shifts in compensation that companies are attempting to slip by talent as distribution models change.” She added that “nobody in any field of work should fall victim to surprise reductions in expected compensation. It is unreasonable and unjust.”
Her statement continued, saying “we are deeply concerned by the gendered tone of Disney’s criticism of Ms. Johansson. Women are not ‘callous’ when they stand up and fight for fair pay – they are leaders and champions for economic justice. Women have been victimized by pay inequity for decades, and they have been further victimized by comments like those in Disney’s press statements. These sorts of attacks have no place in our society and SAG-AFTRA will continue to defend our members from all forms of bias.”
Three organizations, Women in Film, ReFrame, and Time’s Up, released a joint statement last week, calling Disney’s response a “gendered character attack.” They wrote that the studio’s response “contributes to an environment in which women and girls are perceived as less able than men to protect their own interests without facing ad hominem criticism.”
Gabrielle Carteris will be vacating her role as SAG president this September. She, her current Secretary-Treasurer Camryn Manheim, and her party, Unite For Strength, have endorsed Fran Drescher and running mate Anthony Rapp as successors. Opposing them is the Membership First ticket, led by Matthew Modine and Joely Fisher. Recently, Sharon Stone, who is running for a spot on the national board with Membership First, released a video in which she divulged that her request for all co-workers on a forthcoming production be vaccinated may have cost her the part.
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