Scarlett made an appearance in the cold open of Saturday night’s episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Josh Brolin. An episode still and screen captures have been added into the photo gallery.

13 Feb, 2024 Jen

VARIETYThe limited drama series was set up by Warner Bros Television with a straight-to-series order
Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Cord Jefferson will write and executive produce the upcoming Scarlett Johansson limited series, which serves as her first major television role.

The “American Fiction” filmmaker has boarded the Amazon Prime Video adaptation of John Katzenbach’s novel “Just Cause.” Additionally, acclaimed writer John Wells has joined the project, co-writing the series with Jefferson, and will also serve as an executive producer.

“Just Cause,” first published in 1992, tells the story of Matt Cowart, a Miami reporter. In this adaptation, Johansson will portray a female iteration of Cowart, named Madison “Madi” Cowart. The narrative follows Cowart after receiving a letter from a death row inmate claiming innocence. The ensuing investigation not only casts doubt on the inmate’s guilt but also uncovers other hidden horrors.

This project marks the second adaptation of “Just Cause,” the first being a 1995 film featuring Sean Connery, Blair Underwood, Laurence Fishburne, Ed Harris, Ruby Dee and Kate Capshaw. Johansson appeared in the film as the daughter of Connery’s character when she was 10 years old.

Jefferson’s directorial debut film, “American Fiction,” adapted from the book “Erasure” by Percival Everett, received five Oscar nominations, including best picture, actor for Jeffrey Wright, supporting actor for Sterling K. Brown, adapted screenplay for Jefferson and original score for Laura Karpman. Jefferson is the only person of color nominated in two separate categories this year, and is one of only two Black writer-directors to be nominated for their debut movies. The first was Jordan Peele for “Get Out.”

Jefferson has an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group that began in 2020. Jefferson won an Emmy for outstanding writing for a limited series for penning the episode “This Extraordinary Being” from HBO’s “Watchmen” alongside Damon Lindelof. In addition to his work on “Watchmen,” Jefferson’s other TV credits include shows such as “Succession,” “The Good Place” and “Master of None.”

Wells, who also has an overall deal with WBTV, is best known for his roles as showrunner and executive producer of “ER” and “The West Wing.” He has been nominated for 25 Primetime Emmy Awards, securing six wins for drama series for “ER” and “The West Wing,” and outstanding special class program for “The West Wing Documentary Special.”

Johansson’s production company, “These Pictures,” is leading the adaptation. Renowned for her portrayal of Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since “Iron Man 2” in 2010, Johansson has also received two Oscar nominations for her roles in “Marriage Story” and “Jojo Rabbit” (2019), making her one of 12 actors to earn double noms in the same year. Additionally, she won a Tony Award in 2010 for best featured actress in a play for “A View from the Bridge.” She’ll executive produce the series alongside Jonathan Lia and Keenan Flynn from These Pictures, and Erin Jontow from John Wells Productions.

09 Feb, 2024 Jen

DEADLINEEXCLUSIVE: I’m hearing that Oscar nominee and Avengers star Scarlett Johansson (Marriage Story) is set to lead true-crime thriller Featherwood, which is one of the hottest new scripts ahead of next week’s EFM market in Berlin.

In a role that has some buyers already speculating awards potential, Johansson will portray Carol Blevins, a heroin addict and “Aryan Princess featherwood” (property of a gang member) who became one of the FBI’s most important informants during an epic, six-year investigation into the murderous, neo-Nazi crime and drug syndicate known as the Aryan Brotherhood Of Texas. Blevins, who lived with the gang, memorized details, pre-empted murders and interrupted robberies, helped convict 13 members of the group. However, her harrowing journey left her with significant physical and mental scars and she lives under constant threat of reprisal by the ABT.

The movie is based on the award-winning, six-part Dallas Morning News article by Pulitzer Prize finalist Scott Farwell.

I gather FilmNation is handling sales on the project, which will be directed by American Honey and Big Little Lies director Andrea Arnold, whose early career is marked by hard-hitting dramas such as Fish Tank and Red Road. Cannes Palme d’Or contender American Honey was BAFTA nominated and the filmmaker is currently in post on Bird starring Barry Keoghan.

Johansson will produce with Jonathan Lia and Keenan Flynn under their These Pictures banner. Script comes from Ned Benson, writer-director on Searchlight’s upcoming movie The Greatest Hits, and a writer on Marvel’s Johansson starrer Black Widow.

This is the latest in what is turning into a veritable bonanza in terms of EFM pre-sale titles. And there are interesting reasons for why that may be the case. More on that next week.

Johansson is in post on Paramount’s Transformers One and Sony and Greg Berlanti’s untitled rom-com with Channing Tatum.

06 Feb, 2024 Jen

Watch the Super Bowl this Sunday for the full commercial!

Scarlett sat down with Jimmy Fallon to talk about The Outset and to play a game! Photos have been added into the gallery and if you missed it, you can watch clips below!

Scarlett visited the TODAY Show this morning to talk about The Outset, Black Widow rumors, and to do the weather!

04 Nov, 2023 Jen

THE STANDARDThe actor’s image and voice were cloned in an advert posted on X
Scarlett Johansson is taking the legal route against an AI company that used her name and likeness in an advert without her consent.

The Hollywood star appeared in an ad shared on X/Twitter for an AI image-generating app called Lisa AI: 90s Yearbook and Avatar. Johansson’s representatives confirmed to Variety that the Hollywood star is not a spokesperson for the app, and that her attorney “handled the situation in a legal capacity”.

The 22-second advert showed Johansson behind the scenes of the Marvel blockbuster Black Widow, where she is shown saying “What’s up, guys? It’s Scarlett and I want you to come with me…”. The clip then transitions to AI-generated photos that resemble Johansson, with a fake voice imitating her to promote the app.

“It’s not limited to avatars only. You can also create images with texts and even your AI videos. I think you shouldn’t miss it,” says a voice that sounds like Johansson.

The fine print under the ad reads: “Images produced by Lisa AI. It has nothing to do with this person.” The advert has since been scrubbed from X, which began flagging AI-generated content as potentially misleading in late May.

The app’s creator, Convert Software, reportedly still has several AI apps on the iOS App Store and Google Play.

Generative AI apps that can turn your pics into fantastical avatars, or let you revel in nostalgia by creating school yearbook photos, are all the rage online. While some of them are safe to use, others use shady tactics to hoard your facial data and personal information.

Recently, a wave of celebs have warned about companies using AI to rip off their likeness.

As the Standard reported earlier this year, football legend Ian Wright and TV survivalist Bear Grylls have appeared in AI-generated ads for dodgy get-rich-quick schemes on X. A few weeks ago, Tom Hanks warned fans that a company was using an AI image of him to sell dental plans.

Johansson knows a thing or two about having her likeness pinched. The Oscar-nominated actress previously spoke out against pornographic deepfakes. In the clips, which have circulated on social media and adult sites, female celebs including Johansson can be seen with their heads stitched onto the bodies of porn stars.