DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
One of Hollywood's biggest talent agencies on Friday hit out at the Disney movie studio in an escalating public dispute over claims by Scarlett Johansson that she had lost money over the release of her "Black Widow" movie.
Bryan Lourd, co-chairman of the Creative Arts Agency (CAA), accused Disney in a statement of attacking the actress's character and of revealing her US$20 million salary for the superhero movie "in an attempt to weaponize her success as an artist and a businesswoman."
Lourd, who also represents Johansson, released his statement a day after the "Black Widow" star filed a lawsuit accusing Disney of breaching its contract with her by releasing the July 9 movie on its streaming platform at the same time it played in theaters, thereby reducing her expected share of box office receipts.
The lawsuit sent shockwaves through Hollywood as media companies move to boost their streaming services by offering premium content at or near the same time as movies are released in theatres, many of which have been shuttered during the coronavirus epidemic.
Johansson, 36, one of the most popular actors in Hollywood and among its highest earners, has made nine Marvel films with Disney.
Disney shot back saying on Thursday that there was "no merit" to the lawsuit. It also revealed that Johansson had received US$20 million for the film and said the lawsuit showed a "callous disregard" for the effects of the pandemic.
Details of Hollywood movie contracts and any disputes are usually worked out behind closed doors.
Lourd said Disney had "shamelessly and falsely accused Ms Johansson of being insensitive to the global COVID pandemic."
"Disney’s direct attack on her character and all else they implied is beneath the company that many of us in the creative community have worked with successfully for decades," Lourd added.
Disney on Friday did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Lourd's statement.
"Black Widow," the story of the Russian assassin turned Avenger, pulled in US$80 million at U.S. and Canadian box offices over its debut weekend. The movie also generated US$60 million through Disney+ purchases, Disney said.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Nick Macfie)
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is encouraging veterinarians to keep an eye out for signs of avian influenza in dairy cattle following recent discoveries of cases of the disease in U.S. cow herds.
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
A family trip took a frightening turn for Christopher Won when he was diagnosed with flesh-eating disease while in Hong Kong and now, after weeks of treatment overseas, the Vancouver firefighter is back home recovering.
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.