Can celebrities really manifest their dream roles through style choices?
Scarlett Johansson starred as the eponymous hero in the 2020 'Avengers' spin-off 'Black Widow,' produced by Disney. The movie was released in July 2021, and soon after Johansson initiated a lawsuit against Disney claiming they breached their contract by releasing the movie on Disney Plus at the same time as its theater release—as her compensation relied in part on box-office success. At the time, Disney called the lawsuit "sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic."
In an interview with Variety published May 9, 2023, Johansson says she was "sad and disappointed" over how Disney reacted. "But mostly sad," she added. "It was such a surreal moment because we were all isolated and just sort of emerging a little bit." She recalled the support she received from strangers after the lawsuit made a "bigger impact" than she anticipated, and said altogether it wasn't a terrible time for her since she was busy being "heavily pregnant" with her second child.
In 2008, the late Robin Williams sued the production company Frank and Beans over a movie he was contracted to make with them. When they decided not to proceed with the project, he sued over a pay dispute, claiming they had a 'pay or play' contract. This is a deal that A-list actors often make and guarantees they get paid even if they don't complete the movie or it's never released.
Richard Gere sued a production company for extortion in 2018. Gere entered into a contract with Random Acts Entertainment to make a joint purchase to the rights of a book, which they would then make a movie adaption of. A writer from Random Acts Entertainment would write the script, and Gere would star and direct.
Stone claimed she had been promised US$15 million for the role, as well as 15% of the backend profits. She also requested compensation for all of the financial opportunities she had turned down because she had committed to the project. In the end, they went ahead and made 'Basic Instinct 2' in 2007. It earned Stone a Razzie Award...
Raquel Welch took MGM Studios to the cleaners when they fired her from the 1982 movie 'Cannery Row.' Welch claimed that they had used her reputation to generate funding for the movie, then abruptly fired her and replaced her with an actress 15 years her junior. She believed this was their plan all along.
Welch took them to court for breach of contract and asked for US$24 million in damages. The courts ordered MGM to pay Welch $10 million. This was more money than they made from 'Cannery Row.'
Many stars tried to fight the studios over their individual contracts over the decades, but few succeeded. In 1942, Olivia de Havilland challenged Warner Bros. for trying to force her to work an extra six months after her contract ended. She took them to court and won. It became known as the 'de Havilland decision' and was the beginning of the end for the studio system. By the 1960s, it was completely gone.
HBO countersued for US$100 million if Gandolfini didn't cooperate, and the filming of the fifth season was delayed while they tried to resolve the dispute. According to various sources, Gandolfini was one of the earliest TV stars to earn $1 million per episode.
When media reports called out Universal Studios for the offending poster, Love said that the Universal chairman and the film's producer apologized to him and told him that poster would be scrapped. In July 2020, Love found that the poster was still in circulation, and decided to take action. He filed a race discrimination suit against Universal Studios.
The late James Gandolfini was one of HBO's biggest stars, best known for his role as Tony Soprano in 'The Sopranos.' He reportedly started a legal battle with HBO in 2003, at the height of the show's success. He demanded a pay increase from US$400,000 per episode to at least $1 million per episode.
Apparently, Stallones always stick together. Stallone sued the producers for breach of contract and requested US$20 million in damages. They countersued Stallone for $50 million, and in the end they settled out of court.
Glover claimed that the producers had taken a plaster cast of his face during the first movie and used it to make a mask. The mask was then worn by a different actor in the second movie to make it look like he was still in it! Universal settled the lawsuit and gave Glover around US$760,000.
Actors Tim Hutton and Mary Steenburgen were set to star in the 1983 movie 'Roadshow,' until MGM decided to shelve it. Hutton and Steenburgen claimed that MGM broke their contracts, and they both filed separate claims against the studio.
Mary Steenburgen was awarded US$9.75 million through the Los Angeles courts. Tim Hutton settled his case privately for an undisclosed amount.
Unfortunately, this wasn't true. Hickson ended up smashing the glass and falling through. She was rushed to the hospital with a huge gash on her face that needed 70 stitches. She is suing Incident Productions over the injury, citing the emotional and physical toll it has taken, and the limitation it has caused her ability to work in the future due to her facial scar.
Sources: (Insider) (Yahoo) (The Guardian) (Gulf News) (Refinery29) (Deadline)
See also: Celebrities who said sorry to fans
Crispin Glover was one of the central characters of the first 'Back to the Future' movie in 1985, but he wasn't invited back for the sequel. He ended up suing Universal Pictures for a very strange reason.
Faizon Love is an actor and comedian who had a leading role in the 2009 rom-com 'Couples Retreat.' The movie follows four couples on a couples therapy retreat, starring the likes of Kristin Bell, Jason Bateman, and Vince Vaughn. Love and his on-screen wife, Kali Hawk, were the only two Black protagonists. They were also quite noticeably the only pair left out of the movie poster. The primary international version of the poster only included the three white couples.
Butler and his lawyers claim that Millennium Media "embarked on a comprehensive, premeditated scheme to deprive" him of the backend profits of the 2013 movie 'Olympus Has Fallen.' They were accused of deliberately misrepresenting and underreporting the profits in order to pay him less than the percentage agreed upon in his contract. He sued them for US$10 million, plus additional fees and interest.
After months of headlines and bitter legal battles, Disney conceded and made Johansson a reasonable offer. They settled the suit out of court for an undisclosed sum, though Deadline reported it was north of US$40 million. The actress was applauded by many of her Hollywood contemporaries for standing up for her rights and refusing to let the studio take advantage of her for their own profit.
Rockmond Dunbar filed a lawsuit against Disney and 20th Television over his dismissal from the show '911.' Dunbar was fired over his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine, however, he claims that other non-Black cast members were granted exemptions on religious grounds. He applied for the same exemption as a member of the Church of Universal Wisdom, but Disney allegedly concluded that his beliefs were insincere. Other cast members who weren't vaccinated were given paid time off, while Dunbar was dismissed before the end of his contract. He sued for backpay and an order requiring defendants to accommodate employees’ religious beliefs.
The stars of the 1968 film adaptation of 'Romeo and Juliet,' Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, are suing Paramount Pictures over the naked scene they filmed when they were just teens. According to the lawsuit filed December 30, 2022, they accused the production company of sexual harassment, fraud, sexual abuse, and intentional infliction of emotional distress for the scene in the movie that includes naked images of both actors, which were filmed when Hussey and Whiting were 15 and 16 years old, respectively.
The lawsuit particularly calls out late director Franco Zeffirelli who allegedly told the actors the film wouldn't include nudity and that production would use flesh-colored clothing and camera angles to hide everything, but who ultimately lied and pressured the teens into wearing only body makeup, filming them naked without their knowledge. The lawsuit states that both actors suffered "physical and emotional pain, along with extreme and severe mental anguish and emotional distress" since the film's release, as well as "a lifetime of loss of earnings and other employment benefits and job opportunities." They're seeking compensation of over US$500 million to match the amount of money the film has earned since 1968, though Paramount has filed a motion to throw the suit out.
Robin Williams sought US$6 million in damages, but it's unclear who won the case. The movie they were fighting over was eventually made starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. It was called 'Cop Out' and was released in 2010.
When it comes to making movies, there's a lot of money at stake. Contracts worth tens of millions of dollars are signed. All involved in these projects have to walk a careful tightrope, balancing a hotpot of strong, artistic personalities in order to avoid an explosion that could throw a great deal of hard work and money down the drain. Naturally, they don't always pull it off. When a studio pulls out of a movie or fires an actor, they'll usually end up in court. And there are several other unique cases as well. Whatever the issue, most of the time a hefty settlement is on the cards.
Click through this gallery to see which other actors went into battle when their studios let them down or breached their contracts.
Actors who took Hollywood studios to court
Scarlett Johansson recalls feeling "sad and disappointed" about Disney's response to her lawsuit
CELEBRITY Lawsuits
When it comes to making movies, there's a lot of money at stake. Contracts worth tens of millions of dollars are signed. All involved in these projects have to walk a careful tightrope, balancing a hotpot of strong, artistic personalities in order to avoid an explosion that could throw a great deal of hard work and money down the drain. Naturally, they don't always pull it off. When a studio pulls out of a movie or fires an actor, they'll usually end up in court. And there are several other unique cases as well. Whatever the issue, most of the time a hefty settlement is on the cards.
Click through this gallery to see which other actors went into battle when their studios let them down or breached their contracts.