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Just a few months ago, Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson and Disney announced a brand-new project. Alongside Disney Pictures, the star planned to produce a movie inspired by the Tower of Terror attraction fount at Walt Disney World. However, due to a recent lawsuit, that all might change soon! Read on to discover one of the biggest stories in Hollywood right now...
Scarlett Johansson’s New Project
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For those who do not know, actress Scarlett Johansson has made the move into producing. After decades of working in front of the camera, she will now create a family-friendly horror film with Disney. That's right! Johansson will help develop a new take on the Tower of Terror story. For those who don't know, the Tower of Terror attraction at Walt Disney World is based on The Twilight Zone show. Josh Cooley, who directed Toy Story 4 will also join the 36-year-old actress, writing and directing the adaption. Another Hollywood hitmaker, Jonathan Lia, will help Johansson produce the new movie.
The ride, which opened in 1994, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, is a drop-in-the-dark ride based on the classic television series of the same name. If you haven't been on the ride, Disney even uses clips of Rod Serling to narrate the ride. It takes place inside the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel, one haunted by spirits. Once guests board the elevator, they travel "directly to ... The Twilight Zone." A terrifying 200-foot drop follows!
Believe it or not, Disney has already created a Tower of Terror movie! So this new movie is technically a reboot of a film based on a ride based on a T.V. show. The original came out on Disney Channel almost 23 years ago. In the movie, Buzzy Crocker (played by Steve Guttenberg) Los Angeles supermarket tabloid writer, tries to tell the story of the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel. While there, he finds quite the terrifying, ghostly experience. It's not known yet, how much the new movie will follow the original.
Meanwhile, something has now come up that has put the new Tower of Terror movie on hold...
Will It Continue?
Walt Disney Pictures
Excited for the new Tower of Terror film? Well, you might need to wait a little bit. Recently, Disney's decision to release the new Marvel film, Black Widow, on its streaming service sparked a legal battle with Scarlett Johansson. Johansson, who portrays Black Widow, filed a lawsuit against the company in Los Angeles Superior Court. In the lawsuit, the actress and her lawyers allege that her "contract was breached when the studio opted not to debut the film exclusively in theaters, a move they claim depressed ticket sales for the Avengers spinoff." According to Johansson and her attorneys, Disney did this to lessen the box office performance of Black Widow. Why? Well, according to the legal team, if it hit certain benchmarks, Johansson would earn big bonuses.
Now, technically, Disney does not have to pay those bonuses. "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," the suit reads.
Will this lawsuit bring an end to the new Tower of Terror movie? Only time will tell. Keep up an eye here on HashtagArt, and we'll keep you up to date!
Sources: Hollywood Reporter, People Magazine, Variety.
