Dwayne Johnson has spent years perfectly honing his public persona, so you’re never going to hear him say anything that’ll rub people the wrong way, but it’s nonetheless interesting that the star claimed it was important for audiences to have the option of purchasing Jungle Cruise on Disney Plus Premier Access the same day it hit the big screen.
Not only is that the complete opposite of the Scarlett Johansson situation, which saw the actress file a lawsuit against the company for breach of contract, but there’s also been talk that Johnson’s co-star Emily Blunt may be considering similar action over the recent adventure after previously being locked in a pay dispute with Paramount over A Quiet Place Part II‘s 45-day theatrical window.
Between box office returns and Premier Access sales, Jungle Cruise debuted to over $90 million last weekend, miles behind Black Widow‘s $215 million but still solid numbers for the pandemic era. As you can see in the celebratory social media post below, Johnson outlined the importance of giving the audiences the choice of how they wanted to consume his latest blockbuster.
Of course, it was revealed a long time ago that Disney had reached an agreement with the filmmaking teams and production companies involved with Jungle Cruise, which included Johnson’s Seven Bucks. That means his earnings probably haven’t been affected too drastically by the hybrid release, and you can bet the studio would have gone out of their way to ensure that someone with his standing and level of influence in Hollywood went home happy with the agreement. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about Scarlett Johansson, as her issues continue to dominate the headlines.