Business

Scarlett Johansson Reaches Settlement With Disney In Black Widow Dispute

Scarlett Johansson reaches settlement with Disney in Black Widow dispute

Scarlett Johansson appeared as Black Widow in eight Disney movies but launched a lawsuit against the company following the release of Black Widow earlier in the year

Scarlett Johansson has agreed a settlement with Walt Disney Studios after she sued them for an alleged loss of earnings.

The dispute came about after the actress, 36, filmed the super hero movie Black Widow.

The Hollywood star sued the company in July after she claimed its release strategy for the movie made her lose out on a large sum of money.

She originally sued the filmmaker for £36 million in lost earnings.

Black Widow was released simultaneously in cinemas and on the premium tier of the Disney+ streaming service, much to Scarlett’s dissatisfaction.

She filed a lawsuit against Disney which claimed her Black Widow contract with Disney’s Marvel Entertainment was for a guaranteed exclusive movie theatre release.

Both parties have now released statements regarding the settlement, although neither have disclosed its terms.

Scarlett, who had been a major figure in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, said: “I am happy to have resolved our differences. I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team.

“I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come.”

Alan Bergman, chairman of Walt Disney Studios, said: “We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects, including Disney’s Tower of Terror.”

Scarlett was a focal part of the movie – not just in front of the camera. The star also served as a producer and her potential earnings were tied to its box office performance.

Disney decided to realise the movie in July on both formats with cinemas across the world still closed due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

In areas where theatre-going was allowed, many fans appeared reluctant at the time to return.

The film had been delayed for over a year due to Covid-19, but went on to earn more than £280 million ($378 million) at the box office, with a large amount of that revenue coming through Disney+.

The actress starred as Black Widow in eight Marvel films and the announcement of her lawsuit sent shockwaves through Hollywood.

It also made Disney issue a fierce response in which the company accused her of displaying a “callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic”.

Scarlett was revealed to have been paid £14.3 million ($20 million) for her roles on the film.

The company added at the time: “Disney has fully complied with Ms Johansson’s contract.

“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 (£14.3 million) she has received to date.”

Business

Customs exceeds 2024 target, rakes in N71.6bn

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, says it surpassed its revenue target for 2024, raking in a total of N71.6 billion.

The Customs Area Controller, CAC, Effiong Harrison, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying that its target for 2024 was N56.861 billion.

Harrison expressed delight over the record-breaking revenue achieved by the command.

The Customs Area Controller described the 2024 revenue as unprecedented, noting that it was the highest-ever generated in the history of the command.

“A detailed breakdown of the revenue underscores the remarkable achievement of the command in revenue generation.

“During a meeting with his management team, the area controller revealed that the command had exceeded its annual revenue target of N56,861,094,269.07 by generating N71,633,687,108.84.

“This represents a 20 per cent increase, amounting to N14,772,592,839.27,” he said.

According to him, July 2024, in particular, was a standout month, with the command recording its highest-ever monthly revenue of N12 billion.

Harrison, while comparing the command’s performance in 2023 and 2024, noted a significant revenue increase of N41.1 billion in 2024 when compared to the N30.5 billion generated in 2023, reflecting a 135 per cent growth.

He expressed profound gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, and his management team for their unwavering support to the command.

Harrison extended appreciation to critical stakeholders and other government agencies, acknowledging them as invaluable partners in the command’s success in 2024.

He expressed optimism that the command would achieve even greater milestones in fulfilling its core mandates in 2025.

Business

FCT-IRS announces deadline for tax returns

The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) has urged private companies, government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other employers of labour in the territory to file their employee annual tax returns for 2024.

The acting Executive Chairman, Mr Michael Ango, who made the call in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said that the employers have up to Jan. 31 to comply.

In the statement, signed by the service’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Mustapha Sumaila, the FCT-IRS boss said that the returns should be filed using the prescribed forms provided by the service.

This, he said, was in compliance with Section 81 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) 2011 (as amended) and the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) Regulations.

He explained that the PITA Act mandates all employers of labour in the FCT to file annual returns of all emoluments paid to their employees and the total taxes of the preceding year, not later than Jan. 31 of every year.

Ango had during the 2025 stakeholder’s engagement, emphasised that filing of employee annual returns by all employees was mandatory as provided by law.

He added that failure to file the returns would attract penalties and other sanctions, which the FCT-IRS would not hesitate to impose on any defaulters.

According to him, the best form of compliance is voluntary, which the FCT-IRS expects from all taxpayers in the FCT.

“I, therefore, enjoined all private organisations, MDAs, government owned enterprises, including sole proprietorships who are employers of labour in the FCT to comply with their tax obligations to avoid sanctions.

“More importantly, the support will contribute to the development of the FCT and the efforts of the Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, to transform the territory into a modern city,” he said.