Scarlett Johansson may have lost out to streaming, but there’s a fortune to be made from the new online model

As lucrative back-end profits dry up with the rise of digital platforms over cinema premieres, the answer for Hollywood’s A-listers feeling the pinch is for their agents to demand more upfront, writes James Moore

The ‘Black Widow’ star is suing Disney over lost earnings (Marvel/Disney/Kobal/Shutterstock)

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Hollywood’s talent agents should bear that in mind.

You will probably have read by now about Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney over the money the star alleges she lost through Marvel’s Black Widow missing out on the extended exclusive cinema run she says she was promised.

While she was paid (according to Disney) a $20m (£14.4m) fee upfront, it’s through the back end that the real money is made, because the back end can be huge. Robert Downey Jr is, for example, estimated to have made $75m from Avengers: End Game, courtesy of his eight per cent cut of the back end. It contributed $55m to his total payday.