Scarlett Johansson has worked for a long time with Disney. Having done work for them for over a decade, her experience with them has been rather bittersweet. From being Black Widow to collaborating with them indirectly, she has experienced it all. Her stardom has been one of her strongest supporters in the Hollywood industry.
Since Johansson is one of the highest-paid actresses, her influence is far greater than many would think. She has done some wonderfully successful movies that have helped her fame grow beyond imagination. This has also given her the opportunity to work with some famed and respected directors including Taika Waititi. However, there was almost a chance that her movie with him would not have been released because of Disney’s strict rules.
Scarlett Johansson Was Scared Disney Would Never Bring Out Her Movie
Fox had only recently been acquired by Disney when Jojo Rabbit was set to premiere. This worried Scarlett Johansson profusely because the movie was not as light-hearted as it was advertised to be. Walt Disney Productions is known to not release anything that deals with much darker and deeper themes. Taika Waititi’s film wasn’t exactly that.
“The Disney execs were saying, ‘We’re excited about Jojo.’ They had just acquired it. I said, ‘How is that going to be?’ Because Searchlight’s made quite a lot of subversive films. It’s harder and harder to try to find a home for something that’s more off-color or subversive and push the limit. I thought, ‘There’s no way Disney would bring [Jojo Rabbit] out.”
Being a humorous take on Hitler and Nazism, the film tackled the thematic concerns that belonged to a much more horrific time period. She started fearing whether or not her movie would be allowed to be released because of how different it was from the usual work of Disney.
Disney Reassured Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett Johansson has not had an easy run with Disney, going so far as to sue them. The company had seemingly breached her contract after they released Black Widow both in theatres and streaming at the same time. Although she dropped the lawsuit later on, a lot of what Disney is capable of came to light.
“Whether it’s Pixar or Marvel, the most important thing is when Disney acquires a company that’s working, they let the studio continue to have their own style. The creative freedom of that studio stays, the DNA of the studio stays intact. Ultimately when Jojo Rabbit went over [to Disney], it didn’t make any difference, which was cool. Because I was worried that maybe it would.”
Taking this into consideration, the company ensured Johansson that Jojo Rabbit would get the release it truly deserved. They assured her that no matter what studio they work with, the entire series of how things work for that particular studio does not change. Whether it is Pixar, Marvel, or even Fox.
Also Read: “It was the only time the audience booed a film”: Marvel Star Scarlett Johansson Started Crying After Harsh Response At A Film Festival
Source: Cinema Blend
