Disney CEO Defends Releasing Movies on Disney+ Amid Scarlett Johansson Lawsuit

The current CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek, is speaking out in response to the controversy surrounding the company’s hybrid movie release model.

The company has been releasing movies in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access throughout the pandemic and Scarlett Johansson decided to sue the studio for releasing Black Widow that way.

During an earnings call with investors, Chapek talked about the new release strategy and how they’re compensating talent, though he never brought up Scarlett by name.

Click inside to find out what he said…

“Bob Iger and I, along with the distribution team, determined this was the right strategy to enable us to reach the broadest possible audience,” he said (via Variety).

“These films were conceived during a time when … we certainly didn’t know about COVID,” he added (via THR). “Just like what we’ve done many times before, we’ve found ways to fairly compensate our talent so that, no matter what, everyone feels satisfied.”

“Since COVID, we’ve entered into hundreds of arrangements with talent…by and large they’ve gone smoothly,” he said.

Chapek added that the studio will “continue to utilize all options going forward,” so you can expect some Disney+ hybrid releases in the future.

A lawyer for Disney recently said some things about the lawsuit.