United News of Bangladesh

Disney will pay Comcast's NBCUniversal nearly $439 million for its stake in Hulu, taking full control of the streaming service. The move closes out an appraisal process that's dragged on for a few years. Disney said in November 2023 that it was acquiring a 33 per cent stake in Hulu from Comcast for at least $8.6 billion. That amount reflected Hulu's guaranteed floor value of $27.5 billion, according to a regulatory filing. Disney has run Hulu since 2019, when Comcast ceded its authority to Disney and effectively became a silent partner, reports AP. Hulu began in 2007 and quickly evolved into as a service backed by entertainment conglomerates who hoped to stave off the internet with an online platform for their own TV shows. Disney joined in 2009, planning to offer shows from ABC, ESPN and the Disney Channel. A decade later, Disney gained majority control of the business when it acquired 21st Century Fox. Disney said in a regulatory filing on Monday that its appraiser arrived at a valuation below the guaranteed floor value during the initial phase of the appraisal process, while NBCUniversal’s appraiser arrived at a valuation substantially in excess of the guaranteed floor value. Global outage disrupts ChatGPT services, users report widespread access issues A third appraiser was brought in and concluded that The Walt Disney Co will pay $438.7 million for the Hulu stake. “We are pleased this is finally resolved. We have had a productive partnership with NBCUniversal, and we wish them the best of luck," Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement. "Completing the Hulu acquisition paves the way for a deeper and more seamless integration of Hulu’s general entertainment content with Disney+ and, soon, with ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product, providing an unrivaled value proposition for consumers.” The transaction is anticipated to close by July 24. It's not expected to impact Disney's fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings forecast. Shares of Disney rose slightly in morning trading on Tuesday.  

Disney will build its seventh theme park, this one in the United Arab Emirates, the entertainment company said Wednesday. The waterfront resort will be built on Yas Island on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi city, already home to Formula One’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Ferrari and Warner Bros. amusement parks, SeaWorld and a waterpark, AP reports. Disney and Miral, the Abu Dhabi developer overseeing the project, hope to capitalize on the 120 million airline passengers that travel through Abu Dhabi and Dubai each year. While long viewed as more buttoned up than the beaches and raucous nightlife in neighboring Dubai, Abu Dhabi also is home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and there are more museums currently under construction. Disney Bets Big on Live-Action Remakes of Lilo & Stitch and Moana The theme park announcement is being made ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump to the region next week. Trump has promised a series of business deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The theme park will be built and operated by Miral, but Disney will handle the design and development. Disney will also license its intellectual property and provide development and management services, according to a regulatory filing. The California company will not be providing any capital for the project. It will earn royalties based on the resort’s revenues. It will also earn service fees. Miral has been involved in the development of almost all of the entertainment complexes built on the island. A projected opening date has not been announced. Shares of Disney, which also reported second-quarter financial results on Wednesday that beat Wall Street's expectations, jumped more than 9% in morning trading.

Disney’s evolving strategy around live-action remakes has reached an unprecedented height. With upcoming releases riding on high expectations and past disappointments fresh in memory, the stakes have never been higher. The next wave of remakes may not just reflect creative ambition but redefine the future of this billion-dollar trend. Let’s explore how upcoming releases like ‘Moana’ and ‘Lilo & Stitch’ are poised to shape the studio’s future. Disney’s Live-Action Blueprint in 2025 Once a reliable box office formula, the remakes are now treading uncertain ground. Despite recent setbacks, the moviehouse isn’t stepping away just yet. Two major projects, ‘Lilo & Stitch’ (releasing May 23, 2025) and ‘Moana’ (set for July 10, 2026), are already in the pipeline. Each of them carries significant production costs and expectations. These two titles are more than just adaptations; they are litmus tests for the direction Disney might take next. Their performance will likely shape the company’s willingness to continue mining its animated library. However, that doesn’t guarantee results in a marketplace where audience preferences are increasingly unpredictable. Should either film fail to deliver, the studio could be forced to reassess its playbook. While a total departure from live-action remakes may not be immediate, a dramatic slowdown, or even a full creative overhaul, might become inevitable. Read more: A Minecraft Movie Levels Up Theatres with Sing-along Block Party Edition Aftershocks of Snow White: Tangled and Others Left in Limbo The ripple effect from the 2025 film Snow White's underwhelming box office showing has disrupted Disney’s confidence. As one of the studio’s most treasured animated classics, ‘Snow White’ was expected to carry the banner of guaranteed success. Instead, the film’s lacklustre reception has introduced caution into what was once an aggressive remake strategy. In the aftermath, a growing sense of hesitation is becoming apparent. Tangled had already gained early momentum with the 2017 film The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey attached as director. But it has now been shelved indefinitely. Casting remained speculative, with stars like Sabrina Carpenter or Florence Pugh rumoured for Rapunzel. However, the project’s sudden freeze speaks volumes about the broader uncertainties at play. Disney seems reluctant to proceed with ambitious remakes until they regain clarity and confidence in the direction of this trend. This isn't just about one film. Projects like ‘Hercules,’ ‘Robin Hood,’ ‘Bambi,’ and ‘The Aristocrats’ are now adrift without firm release dates. Even the planned Prince Charming feature, once attached to big names like Daisy Edgar-Jones and Chris Hemsworth, sits quietly on the shelf. Read more: Weapons’ 2-Hour Footage Ignites Trailer Buzz: USD 38 Million Bet for an Original Horror Pays Off Diminishing Returns and a Shrinking Library While ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ (2024) delivered a solid performance at the box office, it failed to match the explosive success of its 2019 predecessor. Similarly, ‘The Little Mermaid’ managed to outperform ‘Snow White’ but still fell short of expectations. All credits go to its global revenue, hovering around USD 569 million. These results, though not catastrophic, reflect a downward trend in audience enthusiasm for Disney’s live-action adaptations. This tempered reception is now forcing Disney to rethink its strategy. The golden age of reimagining nostalgic classics appears to be tapering off. With most of its cornerstone animated titles already adapted, Disney has started leaning on newer properties. However, the studio can no longer bank on brand loyalty alone. Future remakes, including potential blockbusters like Frozen, carry higher risks. If viewers continue to respond with indifference, Disney may find itself repairing a strained relationship with its audience. Read more: Meta's Movie Mate to Chat with M3GAN in Theater: Interactive Experience or Distraction

Nvidia, a leading AI technology firm, has launched a series of initiatives aimed at accelerating the development of humanoid robots. The company's CEO, Jensen Huang, revealed a groundbreaking collaboration with Disney Research and Google’s DeepMind AI lab during his keynote address at the 2025 GTC developers conference. The partnership focuses on the creation of Newton, an open-source physics engine that allows robots to refine their skills and tackle complex tasks with improved precision. Huang hailed the collaboration, declaring that "the age of generalist robotics is here." Disney Research will be one of the first organisations to implement Newton, using it to enhance its robotic character platform. Google acquires cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion in its largest-ever deal This platform powers next-generation entertainment robots, including the Star Wars-inspired "BDX" droids that appeared during Huang’s presentation. Kyle Laughlin, Senior VP at Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, emphasised that the collaboration would enable the creation of more expressive and engaging robots, helping to deliver unique experiences for Disney guests. Alongside the Newton project, Nvidia introduced Isaac GR00T N1, a fully customisable foundation model designed for humanoid reasoning and skills. Available now, GR00T N1 is the first in a family of models that Nvidia expects to release to robotics developers globally. As AI reshapes hospital care, human nurses push back Huang demonstrated the robot's ability to perform domestic tasks autonomously using a "post-trained policy" based on GR00T N1, a result of Nvidia's AI training partnership with 1X. The GR00T N1 model is designed to generalise across common tasks such as object manipulation, as well as handle more complex, multi-step activities. Early adopters of GR00T N1 include Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Mentee Robotics, and Neura Robotics, all of which are set to advance the next generation of AI-driven robotics.

A jury has swiftly and unequivocally dismissed claims that Disney’s Moana was derived from a story about a young surfer in Hawaii. On Monday, a federal jury in Los Angeles deliberated for just two and a half hours before concluding that the creators of Moana had no access to writer and animator Buck Woodall’s outlines and script for Bucky the Surfer Boy. Billboard names Doechii 2025 Woman of the Year With this issue resolved, the jury of six women and two men did not need to examine the similarities between Bucky and Disney’s 2016 animated feature, which follows the journey of a Polynesian princess. Woodall had shared his work with a distant relative who worked for a separate company on the Disney lot. However, during the two-week trial, she testified that she had never shown it to anyone at Disney. “Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Woodall’s attorney, Gustavo Lage, said outside the courtroom. “We’re going to review our options and consider the best way forward.” In closing arguments earlier that day, Woodall’s attorney asserted that an extensive chain of circumstantial evidence linked the two works inseparably. “There was no Moana without Bucky,” Lage argued. Defence lawyer Moez Kaba countered that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrated that Moana was the original work and the “crowning achievement” of John Musker and Ron Clements, the celebrated writers and directors behind The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), and The Princess and the Frog (2009). “They had no idea about Bucky,” Kaba stated in his closing remarks. “They had never seen it, never heard of it.” Moana went on to earn nearly $700 million worldwide. A judge had previously ruled that Woodall’s 2020 lawsuit was filed too late for him to claim any share of the film’s revenue. Additionally, a separate lawsuit he filed earlier this year regarding Moana 2—which grossed over $1 billion—must be addressed separately. Though that case remains active, the jury’s decision does not bode well for its outcome. Judge Consuelo B. Marshall, who is also presiding over the sequel lawsuit, expressed agreement with the jury’s verdict regarding access. “We are incredibly proud of the collective effort that went into making Moana and are pleased that the jury determined it had no connection to the plaintiff’s work,” Disney said in a statement. Musker and Disney’s legal team declined to comment outside the courtroom. The relatively young jury, consisting of six women and two men, watched Moana in its entirety during the trial. They also examined a 2003 story outline for Bucky, along with a 2008 revision and a 2011 script. In later versions of Bucky, the titular character, while vacationing in Hawaii with his parents, befriends a group of Native Hawaiian youths and embarks on a quest involving time travel to ancient islands and interactions with demigods to protect a sacred site from a developer. Around 2004, Woodall had provided his Bucky outline to the stepsister of his brother’s wife, Jenny Marchick, who worked for Mandeville Films. The company had a contract with Disney and was located on the Disney lot. He continued sending her follow-up materials over the years. He testified that upon watching Moana in 2016, he was shocked by the apparent similarities. However, Marchick testified that she never showed Bucky to anyone at Disney. Messages presented by the defence indicated that she eventually stopped responding to Woodall’s inquiries and had informed him that she could not assist him. Disney’s attorney, Kaba, argued that there was no proof that Marchick had ever worked on Moana or received any recognition or compensation related to it. He further pointed out that Marchick, who is now Head of Features Development at DreamWorks Animation, spent much of the relevant period working for Disney’s competitors, including Sony and Fox, undermining the claim that she had helped develop Moana for Disney. Woodall also submitted his script directly to Disney and had a meeting—arranged by Marchick—with an assistant at the Disney Channel regarding potential work as an animator. However, the jury determined that this did not establish a link between Bucky and Moana’s creators, Musker and Clements. In his closing arguments, Woodall’s attorney highlighted some of the alleged similarities between the two works. Both feature teenage protagonists on oceanic quests. Both prominently include Polynesian demigods and shape-shifting characters who transform into various creatures, including insects and sharks. Both depict the main characters interacting with animals serving as spiritual guides. Kaba, however, argued that many of these elements are drawn from Polynesian folklore and universal literary themes, making them ineligible for copyright protection. He pointed out that shape-shifting supernatural characters have appeared in multiple Disney films, including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules, all of which were written and directed by Musker and Clements. These films were instrumental in Disney’s 1990s renaissance and its rise as a global entertainment powerhouse. Animal guides, he added, have been a staple of storytelling since at least 1940’s Pinocchio and feature in all of Musker and Clements’ previous works. Aamir Khan reflects on rejecting iconic roles played by Shah Rukh and Salman Kaba asserted that Moana was developed through Musker and Clements’ established creative process—drawing from their own inspirations, extensive research, and travel experiences. He presented thousands of pages of development documents that detailed the entire creative process behind Moana, revealing that its initial inspiration came from the paintings of Paul Gauguin and the writings of Herman Melville. “You can see every single fingerprint,” Kaba concluded. “You can see the entire genetic makeup of Moana.”

Gird your loins! Disney is officially working on a sequel to the iconic 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada,” according to multiple media reports. Fans will be thrilled to hear that Meryl Streep is set to return as the formidable Runway editor, Miranda Priestly. Joining her will be Emily Blunt, reprising her role as Miranda’s sharp-tongued assistant, Emily Charlton, as confirmed by E! News. Read more: Sy Huq becomes first Bangladeshi-American creative executive in Japan’s anime industry While Anne Hathaway has not been confirmed to reprise her role as Andy Sachs, there is plenty of star power returning. Original producer Wendy Finerman and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna are both on board for this exciting sequel, per Variety. The plot details are already stirring excitement. The sequel will delve into the challenges Miranda faces as the magazine publishing industry declines. In a twist, the only person who can save her is her former assistant, Emily, who has now risen to become a high-powered executive at a luxury fashion group, according to Puck. Anne Hathaway has previously shared her thoughts on a potential sequel. “I don’t think a continuation of that story is probably ever gonna happen,” she told E! News in March. However, she expressed gratitude for the film’s enduring popularity, adding, “The reason that movie felt so special was that we were a team and we did that work, but really it’s the love that everybody pours into it.” Read more: August 2024 Netflix English Originals Lineup: Top 10 Most-hyped Releases

Netflix, Amazon and other video streamers are betting big on India, tantalized by the huge growth potential offered by its more than 1.3 billion people. On Dec. 14, Netflix slashed prices by up to 60%. Its popular mobile-only plan now costs 149 rupees ($2) per month, down from 199 rupees. A basic subscription that allows a user to watch content on any device has been cut to 199 rupees from 499 rupees. Its most expensive plan, which allows for simultaneous viewing on up to four devices, has been reduced to 649 rupees from 799 rupees, reports Nikkei Asia. But the reductions might not have gone far enough. The Los Gatos, California-based entertainment giant does not offer annual subscriptions, unlike cheaper rivals Amazon Prime Video and Walt Disney's Disney+Hotstar, which sell yearly plans for 1,499 rupees to access top services in these platforms that offer access to all content. Amazon subscribers also enjoy faster and free deliveries through the conglomerate's e-commerce platform, among other benefits. SonyLIV dangles an even cheaper annual plan in front of India's highly price-conscious consumers, 999 rupees, while ZEE5 currently sells 12-month packages for 499 rupees. Analysts say Netflix is trying to reach a wider audience with its price cuts as the premium service's pace of subscriber growth has been unimpressive. "Netflix has to up the ante! It was more expensive than Amazon and Disney and is falling behind in the subscription numbers," Vineeta Dwivedi, head of digital communications at the Mumbai-based S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, told Nikkei Asia. "Everyone is acing the content game, but the prices have to be comparable. Ultimately, it's about the numbers, and India remains a price-sensitive market which offers a huge and growing user base." Tapobrati Das Samaddar -- founder of Wordloom Creative Ventures, a company that deals with media, education and performing arts -- concurs. "No matter how much they loved [the content on Netflix], the general public might have thought twice or thrice before investing into its [basic 499-rupee monthly plan] because other platforms were providing far more affordable options," she told Nikkei. "Netfllix's premium pricing was not helping it grow its viewership." According to research company Media Partners Asia, Netflix had some 4.6 million subscribers in India in 2020, Amazon Prime 17 million and Disney+Hotstar 26 million. The three providers entered India in either 2015 or 2016 and are now focusing on local content as they chase viewers in every part of the country. Netflix's move in India contrasts with the rate hike it imposed on Japan in early 2021. The previous year, Netflix added roughly 2 million subscribers in the East Asian country to bring its total there to over 5 million. "Netflix's pricing strategy is something of an enigma," Dwivedi said, "which creates great interest [among] media watchers around the world. Slashing prices in India while raising [them] elsewhere is a strategic long-term move to capture a larger share of the market." Disney+Hotstar leads the pack in India, mostly thanks to its cricket offerings. The platform streams Indian Premier League and other domestic and international matches, a big draw in this cricket-crazy nation. Amazon Prime Video will start streaming live cricket on Saturday as part of a deal with the New Zealand cricket board. "Cricket is undoubtedly the most loved sport in India," Gaurav Gandhi, country head of Amazon Prime Video, India, said in a Dec. 20 statement, "and our collaboration with New Zealand Cricket underlines our commitment to give our customers what they want." Amazon Prime Video thus will start offering what it hopes will be a trifecta of Indian programming -- cricket, Bollywood movies and regional content to suit a multilingual, multicultural nation. During the CII Big Picture Summit in November, Gandhi spoke about the growth prospects of India's streamers. "It's very early days," he said, "and there is a huge headroom for growth as unique, original content is created." Other factors will play a role, Gandhi said, including India's young demographics and affordable data plans. Roughly 65% of India's population is under the age of 35, a segment which the streamers are keen to tap. As for the cheap data plans, they are the result of stiff competition among telcos like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel that are trying to reach even small cities and towns. Along with its potential subscriber bonanza, India presents a unique challenge with its multilingual, multicultural population. Amazon Prime Video is trying to meet the challenge by offering movies made in several of the nation's languages with English subtitles and, in some cases, Filipino and Bahasa Melayu subtitles so that people across the country and in other nations can watch them. Amazon Prime Video's local language content currently reaches over 4,000 Indian cities and towns. Globally, the company said, movies made in Indian languages are being watched in about 170 countries, with international viewers accounting for 15% to 20% of their total audiences. The platform also offers gripping Indian originals, including "The Family Man," a spy drama, and "Made in Heaven," a series set in a marriage bureau. Netflix is also spending big on local content. In March, it announced that it is taking its "next big leap in India to bring you more than 40 powerful and irresistible stories from all corners of the country." Among these are the now released relationship drama "Ajeeb Daastaans," family drama "Sardar ka Grandson," and mystery-thriller "Aranyak." "While Netflix, Disney+Hotstar and Amazon Prime compete in the attention economy, comparing them is nothing short of comparing apples, oranges and watermelons," Shahan Sud, an investment professional at Indian Angel Network, told Nikkei. "Each has a different niche that they are catering to." Notwithstanding the price cut, Sud said, Netflix "is still grossly overpriced and will face difficulty" in scaling itself across India despite some of its rivals gradually increasing their subscription fees after having started with much lower price bands. The video streaming industry as a whole, however, is set to expand impressively. RBSA Advisors expects India's video-streaming market to grow to $12.5 billion in 2030 from $1.5 billion in 2021. "With access to better networks, digital connectivity and smartphones, OTT platforms in India have been increasingly attracting subscribers on a concurrent basis," it said in a July report, pointing out that adoption of digital streamers increased manyfold after the coronavirus pandemic struck at the beginning of 2020. In India, video-streaming platforms are often referred to as OTT, or over-the-top, services. "The next 100 million is from India," Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings said in 2018 at The Economic Times Global Business Summit, in New Delhi. He was referring to the number of subscribers the streamer hoped to bag in the country in the years to come. Finding them remains an uphill task.

Disney and Marvel’s “Eternals” took a steep drop in its second weekend in theaters, but it’s still hanging on to first place ahead of newcomers like “Clifford the Big Red Dog.” “Eternals” added $27.5 million over the weekend, bringing its domestic total to $118.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film, directed by Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao and starring Angelina Jolie, Kumail Nanjiani and Gemma Chan, fell 61% from its debut. Though not uncommon for a big superhero tentpole, it was significantly steeper than the 52% drop seen by the last Disney and Marvel offering, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Both played exclusively in theaters, but the main difference is that “Shang-Chi” simply got better ratings from audiences and critics. “Shang-Chi” also became available to stream on Disney+ this weekend. “Eternals” has made $281.4 million globally to date. Read: 'Sesame Street' debuts Asian American muppet Second place went to “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” which opened in theaters during the week and was also available to stream at home for Paramount+ subscribers. It made an estimated $16.4 million from 3,700 theaters over the weekend and $22 million across its five days in release. Though critics were not impressed (it has a 48% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences were more forgiving, giving it a promising A CinemaScore. And “Clifford” managed to do this in the face of uncertain moviegoing conditions for families. “There’s been a lot of talk about family audiences and whether or not they want to go to the movie theater," said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “I think this is a really solid debut. It shows there is a demand for family films on the small screen and the big screen." Blockbusters rounded out the top five with “Dune” in third place with $5.5 million, “No Time to Die” in fourth with $4.6 million and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” in fifth with $4 million. Notably, “Venom 2” this weekend became only the second pandemic-era film to cross the $200 million mark at the domestic box office. The other was “Shang-Chi.” More and more awards hopefuls are entering the specialty box office as well, and many are making their way into the top 10. This weekend Kenneth Branagh’s semi-autobiographical film “Belfast” made $1.8 million from 580 screens in its debut. In its second weekend, “Spencer,” featuring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, pulled in $1.5 million from 1,265 screens. And even in its fourth weekend, Wes Anderson’s “The French Dispatch" continues to do well, adding $1.8 million and bringing its total to $11.6 million. Outside the top 10, the Julia Child documentary “Julia” opened on five screens to $20,796. “These films are in fewer theaters, but there is a demand for independent film which is one of the categories that everyone thought would be really hurt by the pandemic,” said Dergarabedian. “We’re really seeing signs of a much more normalized marketplace." Read:Now silent under Taliban, a Kabul cinema awaits its fate Next weekend, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” faces off against the Will Smith awards hopeful “King Richard.” Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday. 1. “Eternals,” $27.5 million. 2. “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” $16.4 million. 3. “Dune,” $5.5 million. 4. “No Time to Die,” $4.6 million. 5. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” $4 million. 6. “Ron’s Gone Wrong,” $2.2 million. 7. “The French Dispatch,” $1.8 million. 8. “Belfast,” $1.8 million. 9. “Spencer,” $1.5 million. 10. “Antlers,” $1.2 million.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has proposed collaboration with The Walt Disney Company to start unconditional sourcing from Bangladesh. BGMEA President Faruque Hassan had a meeting with David Grazi, president of Disney's major sourcing partner Dreamwave, and Albert Daniel, global vice-president of sourcing at Dreamwave, in New York recently. The apex body of the country's apparel industry proposed a partnership with Disney to start unconditional sourcing from Bangladesh and build capacity together, focusing on their specific need in technical issues, social compliance and sustainability. READ: BGMEA wants to increase RMG exports to Canada, promote positive image BGMEA Director Abdullah Hil Rakib and its former president Md Shafiul Islam were also present at the meeting with the US-based apparel brand. They had discussions on other issues, including the potential of Bangladesh as a sourcing country for activewear, outerwear, swimwear, and workwear. READ: BGMEA chief invites Canadian businessmen to invest in Bangladesh The BGMEA president requested Dreamwave to increase its sourcing from Bangladesh – namely, garments produced from man-made fibre. They also discussed how BGMEA and Dreamwave could work together to showcase the good stories of Bangladesh's apparel industry.

Scarlett Johansson is suing the Walt Disney Co. over its streaming release of “Black Widow,” which she said breached her contract and deprived her of potential earnings. In a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the “Black Widow” star and executive producer said her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news of the lawsuit. Johansson’s potential earnings were tied to the box office performance of the film, which the company released simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming service Disney+ for a $30 rental. Also read: Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty's husband arrested “In the months leading up to this lawsuit, Ms. Johansson gave Disney and Marvel every opportunity to right their wrong and make good on Marvel’s promise,” the lawsuit said. “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.” Disney said the lawsuit has “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,” Disney said in a statement. “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.” After its release was delayed more than a year because of COVID-19, “Black Widow” debuted to a pandemic-best of $80 million in North America and $78 million from international theaters three weeks ago, but theatrical grosses declined sharply after that. In its second weekend in release, the National Association of Theater Owners issued a rare statement criticizing the strategy asserting that simultaneous release lends itself only to lost profits and higher quality piracy. Also read: ‘Titane’ wins top Cannes honor, 2nd ever for female director Once taboo, hybrid theatrical and streaming releases have become more normal for many of the biggest studios during the pandemic, with each adopting its own unique strategy. This weekend, Disney is employing the same strategy with “Jungle Cruise,” and next weekend Warner Bros. big budget “The Suicide Squad” opens both in theaters and on HBO Max. The revised hybrid release strategies over the 16 months have occasionally led to public spats from not just theater owners, but stars, filmmakers and financiers who are unhappy with the potential lost revenues and the alleged unilateral decision-making involved. The WSJ said Warner Media, for instance, paid over $200 million in “amended agreements” with talent over its decision to release its entire 2021 slate simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max. But none have been as public as Johansson’s lawsuit. The actor, who has been in nine Marvel movies going back to 2010’s “Iron Man 2,” quickly became a trending topic on Twitter on Thursday after news of the lawsuit broke.