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Saturday, July 31, 2021

Jungle Cruise was Dwayne Johnson’s dream project inspired by Pirates - Polygon

Dwayne Johnson is everywhere because he wants to be. A prodigy born from the WWE, the performer is not only one of the few pro wrestlers to make the jump to Hollywood’s big time, but also stick around for 20 years. That might be because, in the mid-2010s, Johnson decided to leverage the currency of his stardom to start his own production company, Seven Bucks Productions, to make his biggest dreams come true. One of those dreams was to make his own Pirates of the Caribbean (because, like Polygon, The Rock really loves Pirates of the Caribbean). That’s where Jungle Cruise came in.

“DJ always had a dream of doing a big Disney movie,” Hiram Garcia, president of Seven Bucks Productions, tells Polygon. “He was so enamored with Pirates. The first time he saw the first trailer for Pirates, and seeing that ride come to life, and what the ride meant to fans, to see that world, he was always like, ‘Man, I hope one day I can get to a point where Disney would would want to do something like that with me.’”

In the early days, Johnson was always trying to crack the code of what a larger-than-life, wrestling-anointed performer was supposed to do on the big screen. His major break came from 2001’s The Mummy Returns, with his cameo as the Scorpion King, a role souped up with then-state-of-the-art-technology. (“The Scorpion King came in a really tough time of CG,” Garcia says with a laugh. “If you ever go back and watch that he was really not involved.”) But Johnson spun a moment of cringe into a franchise — his work on the series spinoff The Scorpion King would set the adventurous tone for his career. He dabbled in kids movies, connected with auteurs, latched himself on to the Fast franchise, but eventually Johnson figured himself out. Part of that was establishing Seven Bucks Productions, in order to do what he really wanted to do: make giant movies that mass audiences want to see. Some might raise an eyebrow over Johnson’s commerce-meets-art approach, but as Garcia puts it, that’s just the P.T. Barnum-esque dream.

“We absolutely love four-quadrant storytelling,” Garcia says. “I think for us — Dany [Garcia, Seven Bucks co-founder], Dwayne, myself — we’ve always been fans of four-quad movies like Jurassic Park, ET, Back to the Future, the kind of storytelling that you can take the whole family to, eight to 80, everyone has a good time. That’s the maximum version of a big communal theatrical experience.”

The plan has translated to everything from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle to Rampage to Stephen Merchant’s more intimate wrestling-themed comedy Fighting with My Family. But Jungle Cruise, it turns out, is the culmination of a number of Johnson’s interests.

“Ironically, Jungle Cruise was DJ’s favorite ride,” Garcia says. “And luckily, Disney was in a place where they were interested in trying to get something go with Jungle Cruise. But DJ had this wish that we never even knew that he had this aspiration of like, ‘One day I want to, I want to be able to do that.’ So it all came together. It all came together in a great way just several years later from the first time we talked about it.”

While Jungle Cruise makes good on Johnson’s dream to lead a movie in the mold of Pirates, Indiana Jones, and The Mummy, it’s also given him another key collaborator: The Shallows and Non-Stop director Jaume Collet-Serra. The two forged such a connection on the set of the Disney adventure movie that Johnson recruited the director to helm his long-gestating comic book movie, Black Adam.

“I think everything that happened for a reason,” Garcia says with absolute glee in his voice. “I remember while we were filming Jungle Cruise, having a lunch with Jaume and being like, ‘Dude, you would be so perfect for Black Adam, let me pitch you this movie that we have this idea what we want to do. And luckily, he was like, ‘Oh, absolutely’ — it fit everything that he wanted to do. And Jaume, as you can imagine, having such a history in genre, and knowing edge and the kind of scares we wanted, he was perfect for Black Adam. But at the same time, I was also watching him do this big world-building movie with Jungle Cruise. So in Jaume, we could merge the all the elements we wanted for this.”

For more on Black Adam and Johnson’s future projects, check back next week for the rest of our interview with Garcia. Jungle Cruise is out now in theaters and Disney Plus Premier Access.


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Kit Harington Shares Rare Insight About Fatherhood and Parenting With Rose Leslie - E! NEWS

Back in September 2020, the Death on the Nile actress confirmed she was pregnant after debuting her baby bump for the U.K. digital magazine MAKE.

Although the new mom didn't share any details about her little one, she did briefly open up about her and Kit's intimate downtime at their Tudor manor in East Anglia.

"What a glorious thing to be able to run to the countryside and recoup," she told the outlet at the time. "It's a great privilege to be surrounded by greenery, birdsong and hedgerows, and our delightful neighbours. It's so peaceful."

A month later, Rose gushed over pregnancy, telling The New York Post, "I am thrilled to be expecting, and I can't wait to meet the new member of our family!"

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Feminist Film Groups Call Out Disney's "Gendered Character Attack" on Scarlett Johansson - The Mary Sue

Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

In what may be the most high profile lawsuit between a movie star and a studio in Hollywood history, Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney for breaching her contractual payment structure on Marvel’s Black Widow. Like many stars, Johansson has a series of bonuses built into her contract based on how much money the film earns at the box office, but when Disney chose to release the film simultaneously in theaters and via Premiere Access on Disney+, they cut into the potential box office profits for the film, leading to a smaller payday for Johansson.

Instead of renegotiating the terms of the contract or agreeing on a payout price, Disney largely ignored Johansson’s and her team’s request to resolve the outstanding issue. Disney fired back with an angry missive, describing Johansson’s claim as a “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” One wonders what their response would have been if Chris Evans or Robert Downey Jr. faced a similar situation. It’s especially galling considering that Disney themselves have shown a “callous disregard” for COVID-19, what with laying off 32,000 workers during the pandemic.

Time’s Up, ReFrame, and Women in Film have issued a joint statement regarding Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney over their breach of contract with the Black Widow release.The statement reads, “While we take no position on the business issues in the litigation between Scarlett Johansson and The Walt Disney Company, we stand firmly against Disney’s recent statement which attempts to characterize Johansson as insensitive or selfish for defending her contractual business rights. This gendered character attack has no place in a business dispute and 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.”

Johansson’s agency CAA also released a statement defending their client from the character attack. Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Artists Agency, said “They have 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 added, “The company included her salary in their press statement in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman, as if that were something she should be ashamed of, … Scarlett is extremely proud of the work that she, and all of the actors, writers, directors, producers, and the Marvel creative team have been a part of for well over a decade.”

“Disney’s direct attack on her character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades,” he said. And he’s not wrong: Johansson has appeared in nine Marvel movies as a core member of the Avengers, a franchise that has earned Disney billions of dollars.

Disney was betting that Scarlett Johansson’s problematic history, coupled with the rampant misogyny we see aimed at successful women to somehow shame her into accepting a subpar offer. Additionally, they clearly hoped she would stay silent to maintain her relationship with the studio. But Johansson is part of high tier of successful actors who don’t need Disney or their subsidiaries.

In response, fellow actors Emma Stone and Emily Blunt are reportedly mulling over their own lawsuits, as their films Cruella and Jungle Cruise were subject to the same hybrid release structure as Black Widow. If they join Johansson, they could set in motion a major power play between A-list actresses and Disney.

(via Variety, image: Marvel Studios)

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Spoiler Alert! 'Outer Banks' Cast Breaks Down the Season 2 Finale | Entertainment Weekly - Entertainment Weekly

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Box Office: ‘Jungle Cruise’ Sailing to No. 1 With Estimated $32 Million Debut - Variety

All aboard the “Jungle Cruise” — the Disney film, starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, is riding to an estimated $32 million opening weekend at the domestic box office.

“Jungle Cruise,” based on the famed Disney theme park ride, took in $13.378 million from 4,310 theaters on Friday. Despite the delta variant possibly deterring some moviegoers, if the film meets industry predictions — which range from $28 million to $32 million — it will debut on par with the opening weekend of a “Space Jam: A New Legacy.”

The film, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and also starring Jesse Plemons, Édgar RamĂ­rez, Jack Whitehall and Paul Giamatti, is also available to rent on Disney Plus for $30. This release strategy has recently caused controversy, with “Black Widow” star Scarlett Johansson filing a breach of contract lawsuit against the company for allegedly costing her millions of dollars in profit participation.

Coming behind “Jungle Cruise” on the domestic charts is M. Night Shyamalan’s “Old,” which brought in $2.09 million on Friday from 3,379 theaters. The thriller, which topped the box office charts in its opening weekend, is expected to bring its haul to $30.5 million in its second week of release.

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A24’s “The Green Knight” debuted at an impressive third place, making $2.79 million on Friday from 2,790 locations. The fantasy adaptation, starring Dev Patel, is poised to end its first weekend at the box office with a cume of $6.36 million. Meanwhile, “Black Widow” is holding its own at No. 4, earning $1.934 million on Friday and set to bring its total to $167 million.

Cannes darling “Stillwater,” directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Matt Damon, is expected to round out the top five, having raked in $1.84 million on Friday from 2,531 theaters. The drama, about a father visiting his daughter in prison overseas for a crime she didn’t commit, is poised to debut with a total of $4.5 million this weekend.

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Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim Enjoy Romantic Day in Rome After Confirming Relationship - Yahoo Entertainment

Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim
Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim

Cobra Team/BACKGRID Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim         

Chrishell Stause is enjoying spending time with Jason Oppenheim.

Just days after Stause, 40, went Instagram official with her Selling Sunset costar, 44, the pair were spotted exploring Italy together on vacation.

On Friday, the couple was photographed cozying up to each other and packing on the PDA while visiting Rome's Colosseum and the Roman Forum.

To take their romance public, Stause posted a series of Instagram photos from their vacation on Wednesday afternoon, including two photos of the couple, one of which showed her planting a kiss on his head.

"The JLo effect," she captioned the post, adding a shrugging emoji (Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are currently in Capri as well for a romantic getaway).

The pair were also joined on the trip by Jason's twin brother Brett Oppenheim, Amanza Smith, Mary Fitzgerald and her husband Romain Bonnet, plus model Tina Louise.

Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim are spotted walking hand in hand while visiting the Colosseum and the Roman Forum before packing up and leaving Rome July 30, 2021
Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim are spotted walking hand in hand while visiting the Colosseum and the Roman Forum before packing up and leaving Rome July 30, 2021

professor sorcio/MEGA Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim         

RELATED: Chrishell Stause Reveals New Beau Jason Oppenheim Was the One Who Sent Her Dozens of Birthday Bouquets

Jason, who is Stause's boss at the Oppenheim Group real estate firm featured in the Netflix reality series, confirmed their relationship to PEOPLE, saying, "Chrishell and I became close friends and it has developed into an amazing relationship." He added, "I care about her deeply and we are very happy together."

Stause's rep also confirmed the news, telling PEOPLE, "They are happily together."

Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.

Stause split from her ex Justin Hartley in 2019 when he filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. Their split was a central plot point on Selling Sunset season 3, with Stause revealing her ex notified her of the divorce filing over text.

She was previously linked to Dancing With the Stars pro Keo Motsepe, but the two split in February.

Related video: Chrishell Stause announces her first book Under Construction

Jason, who used to date Fitzergald long before they became Netflix costars, previously told PEOPLE he was unsure about dating a co-worker at the Oppenheim Group, calling a potential relationship with a Selling Sunset star a "big bowl of mess that I don't need to get into." 

He added at the time, "I'm definitely looking for someone that I'm friends with, and that I'm happy with, because I can have stress in my life from work. So someone I'm relaxed with, happy with, and that's just funny and smart."

Fitzergald recently told PEOPLE that she is happy for Jason and Stause. "I couldn't be more excited for them! They are both two of my closest and dearest friends, so I'm over the moon that they're together and make each other so happy," says the real estate agent, who wed husband Romain Bonnet in fall 2019. "Now Romain and I have our closest friends as a couple to double date with! I'm elated!"

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Groups denounce Disney's Scarlett Johansson response as a "gendered character attack" - The A.V. Club

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  1. Groups denounce Disney's Scarlett Johansson response as a "gendered character attack"  The A.V. Club
  2. Emma Stone is reportedly 'weighing her options' after Scarlett Johansson's Disney lawsuit  Yahoo News
  3. Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney: Why execs cash in on streaming but creatives don’t  Fox Business
  4. Women in Film, ReFrame, Time's Up slam Disney's 'gendered character attack' on Scarlett Johansson  EW.com
  5. Scarlett Johanssons agent calls out Disney for ‘weaponzing her success  Geo News
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News
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A gay character sparks debate and a reformed Trader Sam emerges in Disney's 'Jungle Cruise' - USA TODAY

Matt Damon Noticed This Major Difference In Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez's Renewed Romance - Yahoo Entertainment

People can’t stop asking Matt Damon about his BFF’s relationship — and, honestly, he’s been handling all of the questions pretty perfectly. The Stillwater star has been making the rounds to promote his controversial film, and with each new interview comes a question about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. But while chatting with the eponymous hosts of Desus & Mero, Damon made this very apt observation about how different Affleck and Lopez’s romance is this time around.

Upon being asked how he feels about answering questions regarding his pal’s love life, Damon admitted that “it’s weird.” The Oscar winner did, however, mention that, more than 15 years after Affleck and Lopez split in 2004, the reaction from the press has actually been a lot better. “I have to say, the press was particularly terrible to them, like, 18 years ago ,” Damon mused.

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“What’s nice is that at least they’re being nice this time around. They’re on vacation right now, but he still responded when I hit him up about the Red Sox yesterday…You still have priorities!” Indeed, the press and tabloid reaction to “Bennifer” 2.0 has been very different compared to the scrutiny that plagued the couple in the early aughts. At the time of their romance, which began after the pair co-starred in the film Gigli, the couple was everywhere 24/7.

Click here to read the full article.

While that element of their relationship isn’t so different from today, Affleck and Lopez have clearly adjusted how they’re choosing to share their relationship with the media. Since their reunion seemingly began in May, following a secluded trip to Montana, the pair have yet to address their relationship directly with the media. However, on her 52nd birthday, the “Jenny From the Block” singer posted the couple’s first photo together — making them Instagram official.

But that’s been all the two have purposefully shared thus far. Apart from paparazzi photos, Lopez and Affleck have kept the details of their relationship to themselves — which, given their history with the media, is more than understandable. Hopefully, this trend continues as the couple gets more serious and make plans for their future.

Before you go, click here to see celebrity couples who famously broke up and got back together.

Kate Middleton Prince William Ben Affleck Jennifer Lopez "Celebrity Couples Who Got Back Together"
Kate Middleton Prince William Ben Affleck Jennifer Lopez "Celebrity Couples Who Got Back Together"

Launch Gallery: A Look Back At Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez's Broken Engagement in Photos

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Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney: Why execs cash in on streaming but creatives don’t - Fox Business

Scarlett Johansson made headlines on Thursday when she sued Disney over its day-and-date release of "Black Widow" on Disney+ and in theaters, citing breach of contract.

Since the suit was filed, Disney fired back in a strong statement and the move has sent ripples through the entertainment community with rumors circulating that Emma Stone, star of "Cruella" that had a similar release, was considering filing her own suit.

Such a day-and-date release – which was also used to debut "Mulan" and most recently "Jungle Cruise" – was done initially because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which put a hold on movie releases for months.

Subscribers to the popular streamer had to pay an additional $30 on top of their subscription fees to view the movie if they chose not to head to theaters.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON FILES LAWSUIT OVER ‘BACK WIDOW’ STREAMING ON DISNEY+

As the situation potentially gets more intense for the Mouse House, here’s a look at why executives earn money from streaming releases, but stars like Johansson do not.

Scarlett Johansson cited breach of contract in a lawsuit against Disney over it's day-and-date release of ‘Black Widow.’ (Jay Maidment/Marvel Studios-Disney via AP, File / AP Images)

Mega blockbusters with high-profile stars in the leading roles are often subject to backend deals that see the stars earn a second paycheck if the movie grosses over a certain amount, according to Time.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is well known for using such practices with Robert Downey Jr. negotiating himself gobsmacking deals that consistently put him on highest-paid lists for years.

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Johansson, 36, said in court documents that her salary for the film was tied to box office performance in a similar manner and a theatrical release was guaranteed in her contract, leaving her out $50 million thanks to many viewers selecting to see the movie at home rather than in theaters – despite the movie’s impressive box office performance anyway.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON'S AGENT SLAMS DISNEY FOR ATTACKING HER CHARACTER, WEAPONIZING $20M PAYCHECK

While Johansson may have missed out on big bucks, executives likely did not.

Not even two years old, Disney+ has surpassed projected subscriber counts a handful of times and has proved to be a rival to big-time newbie competitors like HBO Max

Additionally, the streamer has seen boosts in subscription numbers and app downloads that have largely been attributed to the addition of popular titles like 2020’s "Hamilton."

Johansson claimed she missed out on at least $50 million in bonuses due to box office performance. (Marvel Studios/Disney via AP, File / AP Images)

It’s not common for streaming services to share exact numbers, but in a moment of pride, Disney announced that they had earned $60 million from Disney+ purchases of the film, per Variety, which saw its stock price rise not long after. The announcement of the day-and-date release of "Black Widow" also gave the stock a boost, which means executives and shareholders get a paycheck.

Such successes almost certainly stuff the pockets of Disney bigwigs like CEO Bob Chapek and his teammates overseeing Disney+, which has made huge efforts to grow exponentially by making titles like "Soul" and "Luca" exclusive to the streamer, as well as developing several shows that fall under the Marvel and Star Wars umbrellas – two of the more profitable labels owned by the company.

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Exact paychecks given to executives – and whether they got bonuses based on the films’ performances – are unclear.

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Dolly Parton Chimes In On Britney Spears' Conservatorship Battle - HuffPost

Country legend Dolly Parton offered her thoughts on the #FreeBritney movement on Thursday’s episode of “Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.”

Parton, 75, was asked by a fan what she thought of the conservatorship that has seen Britney Spears’ life and finances controlled by her father Jamie Spears for the last 13 years, from which the pop star is currently trying to remove herself.

Spears, 39, claimed in explosive court testimony last month that the conservatorship had seen her prescribed lithium against her will and denied her permission to remove a birth control device.

“Well, I try to not get involved in other people’s business,” Parton said in response to the question. “I think she is a wonderful artist and I think she’s a wonderful girl and I only wish her the best.”

“I understand all those crazy things,” she continued.

“I went through a lot of that myself through a big lawsuit in my early days with Porter Wagoner trying to get out on my own,” Parton recalled, referencing her legal battle with her former collaborator following their split.

“So, I understand where she is coming from and how she feels,” said Parton. “So, I hope that all turns out the way that it should.”

Watch the interview here:

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‘Clifford The Big Red Dog’ Pulled From Paramount Release Schedule Over Delta Concerns; Pic Looking For New Date - Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures has curbed the planned September 17 release of its CGI/live-action feature Clifford the Big Red Dog over concerns of the delta variant. The film is complete, and there’s good early tracking (in the low 90s), however, with families feeling less likely to go to theaters, Paramount is looking for a new U.S. release date. Paramount believes it has a winner with Clifford, but only if kids can safely go to the multiplex.

There was buzz that the studio was pushing the film by a week to Sept. 22, however, they’ve completely unset it. Clifford was announced as a Gala Presentation at the Toronto Film Festival in September. The title’s Canadian rights are held by eOne, which was set to take Clifford to TIFF. However, as of tonight, it’s unclear whether it would still premiere there. There’s no mention of the movie on the fest’s site. Clifford‘s full trailer arrived in late June and since then has clocked 130M views in its first week.

Directed by Walt Becker, Clifford the Big Red Dog stars Darby Camp as Emily Elizabeth, a middle-schooler who meets a magical animal rescuer (John Cleese) who gifts her a little, red puppy. She never anticipated to wake up to find a giant 10-foot hound in her small New York City apartment. While her single mom (Sienna Guillory) is away for business, Emily, Clifford and her fun but impulsive Uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) set out on an adventure.

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Patrick Hipes contributed to this report.

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'South Park' Creators Want To Buy Real Casa Bonita, But It's Not For Sale - TMZ

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Friday, July 30, 2021

Women in Film, ReFrame, and Time's Up Call Out Disney - /FILM

Scarlett Johansson Black Widow LawsuitScarlett Johansson has been all over the news lately because she decided to stand up to the largest media corporation on the planet. Johansson alleges that her contract was breached by the decision to release Black Widow to Disney+ before giving it a proper theatrical release. Regardless of how strong her case may or may not be, Disney executives responded with personal, misogynistic attacks against her character. 

Now, Women in Film, ReFrame, and Time’s Up have come together to release a statement condemning this behavior and the company’s grievous treatment of Johansson. And they’re right to do so.

Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Reuters have all given very concise breakdowns of Johansson’s lawsuit and the strength of her case against Disney. I encourage you to read them as, unfortunately, there just isn’t enough space to run through every detail and still get to the point of this article. 

That said, the TL;DR is that Johansson is suing Disney for failing to meet the terms of their contract on Black Widow which, according to Variety, reportedly: 

“guaranteed a ‘wide theatrical release’ for ‘Black Widow,’ meaning the film would be shown on at least 1,500 screens. Johansson’s lawyers argue that everyone understood that to mean an ‘exclusive’ theatrical release, under which ‘Black Widow’ would not be available on other platforms for at least 90 to 120 days.”

The details from there become more complicated and difficult to condense down to my available word count. But, suffice to say, it seems that whether or not her case is a strong one may come down to semantics. But that’s not why I’m writing this. 

Disney’s response to Johansson’s lawsuit was abhorrent. In a direct attack on her character, Disney released a public statement saying:

“The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its 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 Premiere Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20M she has received to date.”

Let’s start with the fact that they leaked her salary in little more than “an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman,” per her talent agency, CAA. Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Artists Agency went on to say: 

“They have 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. […] The company included her salary in their press statement in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and businesswoman, as if that were something she should be ashamed of. Scarlett is extremely proud of the work that she, and all of the actors, writers, directors, producers, and the Marvel creative team have been a part of for well over a decade. […] Disney’s direct attack on her character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades.” 

And he’s right. Without question, 100% correct. There is no debate on this one. 

Women in Film, ReFrame, and Time’s Up released a statement in support of Johansson saying:

“While we take no position on the business issues in the litigation between Scarlett Johansson and the Walt Disney Company, we stand firmly against Disney’s recent statement which attempts to characterize Johansson as insensitive or selfish for defending her contractual business rights. This gendered character attack has no place in a business dispute and 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.”

Johansson is fighting for her contractual rights, as she should. No one should ever back down from fighting for their worth, especially if that value has been clearly stated in a legal and binding contract. The unfortunate reality is that women in every industry, and especially Black women and women of color (disproportionately so, in fact), are constantly underpaid and made to feel selfish or ungrateful for asking for their worth. 

It’s a pervasive problem throughout Hollywood that has been the topic of conversation instead of sufficient action for years now. The gender wage gap in the film industry is massive, particularly because you’re dealing with elevated salaries as it is. 

The fact that celebrities make enormous sums of money (like Johansson’s $20 million from Black Widow) is irrelevant. The issue isn’t if she was paid enough for her work; it’s that the company presumably tried to short-change her, and she said no. 

At the end of the day, that’s why Disney lashed out the way they did. Their statement, brief and heated as it was (executives can be so emotional), uses the pandemic and its more than 4.2M person global death toll as a shield while weaponizing Johansson’s success in an attempt to presumably (in this writer’s opinion) make an example of her and deter others from doing the same. And it failed.

“It’s no secret that Disney is releasing films like Black Widow directly onto Disney+ to increase subscribers and thereby boost the company’s stock price,” said Johansson’s attorney, John Berlinski of Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP, “and that it’s hiding behind COVID-19 as a pretext to do so.”

This is the mentality thrown at women every damn day in virtually every industry: don’t be selfish, be grateful you’re getting this much, and stop asking for more.

Johansson is here to say f*ck that, and some pretty powerful people are starting to stand beside her, as they should. Does Johansson need the extra several millions of dollars? Maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t. Ultimately that’s nobody’s business but her own. What should be all of our business is standing up against a system that consistently marginalizes women, preventing them from earning the wages they’re due, and badgering them into feeling grateful for the crumbs they’re given.

Now, this issue impacts women everywhere, and it’s imperative that she and her team stand their ground.  

Because of Disney’s reaction to her lawsuit, it doesn’t really matter if her case holds water or not. Their plan to publicly discredit her has backfired, causing them instead to unwittingly show their misogynistic hand in an industry fraught with inequality. 

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Justin Bieber, Hailey Baldwin take selfies with fans in Carmel-by-the-Sea - KSBW Monterey

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Matt Damon reveals the one thing that has been different about Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck’s rekindled romance - Fox News

Matt Damon emphasized the media attention regarding Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's rekindled relationship and how different it is from the first time the two were an item.

"I have to say, the press was particularly terrible to them, like, 18 years ago," Damon said on an episode of "Desus & Mero" earlier this week.

"What's nice is that at least they're being nice this time around," he added, according to Entertainment Tonight. "They're on vacation right now, but he still responded when I hit him up about the Red Sox yesterday…You still have priorities!"

Affleck, himself, recently opened up about the media's treatment of Bennifer, especially Lopez, the first time they dated. 

JENNIFER LOPEZ AND BEN AFFLECK ARE ALL LOVED UP AS THEY PACK ON THE PDA DURING STEAMY ITALIAN VACATION

Matt Damon emphasized the media attention regarding Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's rekindled relationship and how different it is from the first time the two were an item.

Matt Damon emphasized the media attention regarding Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's rekindled relationship and how different it is from the first time the two were an item. (MEGA/GC Images via Getty Images)

"People were so f--king mean about her -- sexist, racist, ugly, vicious sh-t was written about her in ways that if you wrote it now you would literally be fired for saying those things you said," the "Argo" director said in January. "Now it's like, she's lionized and respected for the work she did, where she came from, what she accomplished -- as well she f--king should be!"

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Lopez and Affleck rekindled their relationship after the singer and her fiancé, Alex Rodriguez, called it quits in April.

The "Hustlers" star and "The Way Back" actor were previously engaged for roughly two years. The two split in 2004 and Affleck went on to marry actress Jennifer Garner in 2005. The pair – who share three children together – divorced in 2018.

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Lopez shares her two kids with ex-husband Marc Anthony.

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Women In Film, ReFrame & Time’s Up Condemn Disney For “Gendered Character Attack” On Scarlett Johansson In Her ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit - Deadline

Seriously, Disney, you’re not lookin’ so good.

In the wake of the $319.8 billion entertainment media conglom calling Scarlett Johansson’s breach of contract Black Widow suit a “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic” and outing her base salary of $20M on the Marvel Cinematic Universe film exclaiming that the Disney+ with Premier Access will compensate her well enough, Women in Film, ReFrame and Time’s Up have weighed in, calling the Mouse House out.

“While we take no position on the business issues in the litigation between Scarlett Johansson and The Walt Disney Company, we stand firmly against Disney’s recent statement which attempts to characterize Johansson as insensitive or selfish for defending her contractual business rights,” said the orgs in a joint statement this afternoon.

“This gendered character attack has no place in a business dispute and 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,” the statement continued.

Watch on Deadline

Hero Nation Podcast: A ‘Black Widow’ Legal War At Disney & ‘The Suicide Squad’ Producer Peter Safran On James Gunn, Idris Elba & Amber Heard

In response to Johansson’s legal filing over the studio breaking its agreement with her for an exclusive theatrical release (thus diluting a great degree of her bonuses, a Disney spokesperson said in full Thursday: “There is no merit whatsoever to this filing. The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its 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 $20M she has received to date.”

The two-time Oscar nominee’s agent CAA co-chairman Bryan Lourd blasted Disney today for shaming her publicly and “deliberately” moving “the revenue stream and profits” of Black Widow “to the Disney+ side of the company leaving artistic and financial partners out of their new equation.”

Disney Strikes Back Over Scarlett Johansson’s ‘Black Widow’ Lawsuit, Reveals Her $20 Million Payday

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Amanda Knox says new Matt Damon movie 'Stillwater' is profiting off her story - NBC News

Amanda Knox, whose murder conviction in Italy and then acquittal years later drew international headlines, said Matt Damon’s new movie “Stillwater” is profiting off her story without her approval.

“Does my name belong to me? My face? What about my life? My story? Why does my name refer to events I had no hand in?” Knox tweeted Thursday. “I return to these questions because others continue to profit off my name, face, & story without my consent. Most recently, the film #STILLWATER.”

Knox was convicted, and then acquitted, of her roommate Meredith Kercher’s 2007 murder as a student in Italy.

Knox served four years of a 26-year sentence at Capanne Prison near Perugia, Italy, for the murder of Kercher before her conviction was overturned in 2015. She’s written a memoir, “Waiting to be Heard.”

She has a podcast called “Labyrinths.”

Rudy Guede was convicted of Kercher’s slaying after his DNA was found on her body and his footprints were in her blood.

Knox said in several tweets on the topic, how she was wronged in the case by “shoddy police work” and “prosecutorial tunnel vision.” She said that led to the media incorrectly focusing on her. Knox also tweeted how framing a story, and power dynamics in the wake of the Me Too Movement, have a lot of impact.

Oct. 3, 201904:05

“I would love nothing more than for people to refer to the events in Perugia as “The murder of Meredith Kercher by Rudy Guede,” which would place me as the peripheral figure I should have been, the innocent roommate,” Knox tweeted.

Knox also invited Damon and the movie’s director, Tom McCarthy, to appear on her podcast.

A representative with the production and distribution company of the film, Focus Features, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. Focus Features is a subsidiary of NBC Universal.

The film’s website described the movie as a dramatic thriller about an “American oil-rig roughneck from Oklahoma who travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter, in prison for a murder she claims she did not commit.”

Diana Dasrath contributed.

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'Better Call Saul' star Bob Odenkirk speaks out after collapsing on set: 'I had a small heart attack' - Fox News

Bob Odenkirk has officially spoken out about his collapse while on the New Mexico set of "Better Call Saul" earlier this week.

The actor, 58, took to social media on Friday to address the reports and thanked fans and loved ones for their well wishes.

"To my family and friends who have surrounded me this week. And for the outpouring of love from everyone who expressed concern and care for me. It’s overwhelming. But I feel the love and it means so much," he wrote in a tweet.

"I had a small heart attack. But I'm going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery," he continued in a subsequent follow-up tweet. "Also, AMC and SONYs support and help throughout this has been next-level.  I'm going to take a beat to recover but I'll be back soon."

BRYAN CRANSTON SAYS BOB ODENKIRK IS 'RECEIVING THE MEDICAL ATTENTION HE NEEDS' AFTER COLLAPSING ON SET

‘NOBODY’ STAR BOB ODENKIRK RECALLS BREAK-IN AT HIS FAMILY HOME: ‘I GRABBED A BASEBALL BAT’

Fox News confirmed on Tuesday that the former "Saturday Night Live" writer and Emmy-winner was rushed to a hospital after he collapsed while filming the sixth and final season of the "Breaking Bad" spinoff. 

Fox News confirmed on Tuesday that the former ‘Saturday Night Live’ writer and Emmy-winner was rushed to a hospital after he collapsed while filming the sixth and final season of the ‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff. 

Fox News confirmed on Tuesday that the former ‘Saturday Night Live’ writer and Emmy-winner was rushed to a hospital after he collapsed while filming the sixth and final season of the ‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff.  (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for AMC)

Crew members called an ambulance that took the actor to a hospital, where he remained Tuesday night, a person close to Odenkirk who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told The Associated Press.

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Odenkirk has been nominated for four Emmys for playing the title character, a down-on-his-luck lawyer named Jimmy McGill, who becomes increasingly corrupt and adopts the pseudonym Saul Goodman.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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Bob Odenkirk Says He's Recovering From Heart Attack, Will Be OK - TMZ

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Amanda Knox Speaks Out Against Matt Damon Film Stillwater - Entertainment Tonight

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Disney sued by Scarlett Johansson over Black Widow's streaming release - CNET

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Marvel's Black Widow was delayed multiple times as the pandemic decimated theatergoing. 

Marvel Entertainment; screenshot by Joal Ryan/CNET

Disney is being sued by Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson over the company's decision to stream the Marvel blockbuster on its streaming service Disney Plus simultaneously with its release in theaters. The suit alleges that Disney breached Johansson's contract, claiming she was guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release and missed out on compensation because her pay was partly tied to the the film's box-office performance. 

Disney said the complaint had "no merit whatsoever."

"The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic," the company said in a statement, adding that Disney "has fully complied" with Johansson's contract. On top of the $20 million Johansson has received to date, Disney said, releasing Black Widow on Disney Plus "significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation." 

Black Widow's streaming release is allegedly projected to cost Johansson $50 million in compensation, according to a Wall Street Journal report Thursday, which cited an anonymous person familiar with her contract.

Marvel's Black Widow is the biggest same-day film release on Disney Plus so far. As has become the practice of several major studios during the coronavirus pandemic, Disney released the film in theaters and online at the same time, which gives film fans wider options for watching a highly anticipated flick when health risks and public safety protocols continue to crimp audiences' ability and willingness to cram into theaters. Disney's model, known as Premier Access, requires an extra $30 payment on top of the regular price of a Disney Plus subscription. 

But this same-day strategy has outraged some of Hollywood's biggest stars, directors and producers, whose pay is often linked to box office performance in contracts that were devised pre-pandemic, when the idea of a same-day streaming release of a megabudget franchise film was preposterous. When Warner Bros. revealed an unprecedented plan to release its entire 2021 slate on streaming service HBO Max at no extra cost the same day films hit cinemas, Christopher Nolan, one of the studio's star directors for nearly 20 years, derided the decision for flipping the "greatest movie studio" into "the worst streaming service."

Johansson's suit marks the most high-profile court challenge to the same-day strategy so far. 

The contract and the conflict

The key issue in Johansson's contract is a requirement that Black Widow have a "wide theatrical release," which the contract characterizes as being on no fewer than 1,500 screens. In the US, Black Widow opened on more than 4,200 screens. 

But back in March 2019, Disney's then-CEO Bob Iger touted to investors that Disney Plus would stream every Disney movie and film after their theatrical runs. So Johansson's representatives reached out to Marvel's top lawyer, asking if that would change the theatrical release plan for Black Widow. Marvel's Chief Counsel Dave Galluzzi responded in an email that a typical wide theatrical release was still "100% our plan," according to the complaint. 

Then the pandemic happened. 

With cinemas shuttered globally, studios across the board upended traditional movie-release cycles that had be sacrosanct for decades. Disney currently charges a $30 extra fee to stream its same-day movie releases; Warner Bros. and NBCUniversal's DreamWorks Animation make movies available to stream on their services at no extra charge. Warner Bros. movies are available to anyone who's a $15-a-month premium subscriber to HBO Max, and DreamWorks released its latest film, its Boss Baby sequel, on NBCU's streaming service Peacock for members paying as little as $5 a month. 

Black Widow drew a big audience its opening weekend, both on the big screen and at home. Disney Plus subscribers spent more than $60 million to watch it online, on top of its $158 million haul at the box office worldwide during its first weekend. But the film didn't have as much staying power with theatergoers as previous Marvel blockbusters have in the subsequent weeks, stoking speculation that the movie's online availability may be weighing on demand to see it in cinemas. So far, the film has grossed more than $300 million globally in theaters. 

Movie stars like Johansson often have bonuses in their contracts tied to milestones of box-office performance. The bigger a blockbuster is, the more they get paid. And for decades, theatrical release was the main way that franchise films make money, so it made sense for talent to share in its success that way. But in the streaming age, the value of a movie on Disney Plus is different. More than just the amount of money it racks up in Premier Access fees, having Black Widow on Disney Plus generates value by attracting new subscribers, by helping keep the subscribers it already has and by enhancing the service's pricing power for subscription-cost hikes down the line. 

But Johansson's contract, like almost everyone's in Hollywood, isn't set up to compensate her for these new types of value created by streaming success.

Disney isn't alone in rankling its talent with these new release models. But other studios have smoothed over these tensions differently so far. Warner Bros., for example, reportedly paid $200 million to its talent whose films were being released same-day on HBO Max, basically paying them as though their movies were box-office successes no matter how they actually fared in theaters. 

Johansson's suit claims that over the course of months, Disney and Marvel "largely ignored" her attempts to have them "right their wrong and make good" on the promises they made her. 

Same-day streaming releases aren't likely to be the norm forever. With cinemas reopened and audiences venturing back into them, Disney is going to reintroduce theatrical-only windows starting in August. Free Guy, a sci-fi comedy from Disney's 20th Century Fox, will be released in theaters exclusively for 45 days starting Aug. 13. Then Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be released Sept. 2 in theaters only, also for 45 days. But that's still a far cry from the prepandemic standard, when new movies would be available exclusively in theaters for 90 to 120 days or more.

Across Hollywood, everyone agrees that film releases are never going to be the same again. Johansson's suit is likely to mark the moment that stars started demanding that how they're paid changes too. 

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