Scarlett Johansson’s decision to sue Disney over the release of Black Widow has had many consequences for her acting career. While it may not seem like she has a lot of support in Hollywood, it looks like one director has her back.
Dune director Denis Villeneuve said the film industry is, “on a roller coaster ride,” with films now able to release on streaming services and that he fully supports the lawsuit in a recent interview with La Presse. “What would happen if the opposite happened and we did not respect the contracts that we signed on our side?”
He went on to discuss the issues with releasing films on streaming platforms at all, going so far as to see he would be, “contractually require my films to be released exclusively in theaters,” going forward.
“In addition, it is wrong to believe that cinema on the big screen is not doing well… These platform subscriptions provide studios with fixed income. I have nothing against platforms, quite the contrary. They are an extraordinary tool to give us access to the memory of cinema. But a film’s career must first start with the big screen… A film that is shown in cinemas is accessible to everyone. The beauty of cinema is to create bridges and to open doors”
Dune is set to release in theaters on October 22nd, 2021.