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Emma Stone Reportedly Looking To Sue Disney Over Cruella Release Strategy

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Updated on August 4, 2021

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Emma Stone is said to be joining Scarlett Johansson in suing Disney over the company’s Cruella release strategy.

Former Hollywood Reporter editor and entertainment lawyer Matt Belloni said on his blog that Stone, 32, may be the next celebrity to sue the studio.

Johansson, 36, claims Disney breached her contract by allowing Black Widow to be released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming services, which she claims negatively affected her earning potential because a large portion of her salary is based on the film’s box office performance, which dropped 67 percent after the film’s opening weekend.

According to the article, Emily Blunt may also join in on the action following the release of Jungle Cruise. Belloni claims Disney is “notoriously difficult to deal with,” and that other creatives have been waiting for someone high-profile to speak out about the problem, and that many people are rallying around and supporting Johansson.

Stone plays Cruella in Disney’s May 2021 live-action version of 101 Dalmatians, while Blunt appears in Disney’s Jungle Cruise. Both are rumored to have agreements with Disney to collect royalties on box office revenues.

Belloni suggested that Johansson has a lot of backing from other stars and that the controversy will not go away. Disney attorneys were quick to issue a controversial comment in response to the Oscar-nominated actor’s conduct. The studio maintains that they strictly followed all of the terms of Johansson’s contract. In a potential attempt to discredit the actress’ accusations, the statement stated that the launching of Disney+ did not reduce her compensation, but rather boosted it.

Johansson, 36, filed a complaint against Disney on Thursday, alleging she lost $50 million as a result of Black Widow being released on Disney+ at the same time it was released in theaters.

The complaint claimed that “Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel,” According to Johansson’s attorney, John Berlinski, “This will surely not be the last case where Hollywood talent stands up to Disney and makes it clear that, whatever the company may pretend, it has a legal obligation to honor its contracts.” It remains to be seen if Emma Stone will be the next “Hollywood talent” to launch a lawsuit.

The firm also described the action as ‘sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic’.

Belloni has also hinted that additional litigation may follow, implying that ‘the floodgates might be opening’.

He revealed: ‘There is an unusually high amount of cheering going on today in the talent community, which indicates these issues aren’t going away anytime soon. Disney is notoriously difficult to deal with.’

The actual contract terms may provide some clarification for the surprising dispute, but Disney is unlikely to make those public. While Johansson is undeniably powerful, going up against a behemoth like the Walt Disney Company sounds like a description of David and Goliath. The thing is, someone as astute as Johansson is unlikely to go head to head with Disney if they don’t have good ground to stand on. If Stone speaks out about Cruella in the coming weeks, it might be the last nail in the coffin for Premier Access.

Cruella, like Black Widow, was available on Disney+ at the same time it was released in theaters across the United States.