Disney, Sony and Warner Bros. have decided to stop movie screenings in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian occupation in Ukraine, which has been going on since February 24, is on the agenda of the whole world. While not only countries but also technology giants showed their reactions to Russia, another move came from the movie industry. Leading production companies decided to stop movie screenings in the country in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Disney will prioritize humanitarian aid
“We will make future decisions based on the evolving situation,” Disney said in a statement on Monday. Meanwhile, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide emergency relief and other humanitarian assistance.” The company also pulled the family movie Turning Red, whose vision date is as close as March 10, from the vision.
Warner Bros. stopped “The Batman” screenings
Immediately after Disney’s announcement, Warner Bros. also took action on the subject and decided to follow a different path for Russia while planning the release of many of its big movies, including the superhero movie The Batman. Warner Bros. said in a statement: “In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is suspending the screening of its feature film The Batman in Russia. We hope to find a quick and peaceful solution to this tragedy.”
Following Disney and Warner Bros., Sony Pictures also announced that it has halted all productions in Russia, including Morbius, starring Jared Leto and set to hit theaters on March 24.
Sony movies won’t be screened either
A Sony Pictures spokesperson said: “Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis in that region, we will be suspending scheduled screenings in Russia, including the imminent release of Morbius. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, and we hope this crisis is resolved quickly.”
Other Warner Bros movies soon to be released in Russia included Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore on April 14 and the animated DC League of Super-Pets on May 19.
Netflix also turns its back on Russia
The decision of the production companies came after Netflix refused to air Russian state channels.
Russia wanted the streaming platform to feature Russian state channels as it has over 100,000 members. According to the law; would have had to broadcast 20 major Russian federal television channels, most of which broadcast Kremlin propaganda.
However, Netflix announced that it rejected this practice: “Given the current situation, we have no plans to add these channels to our service,” he said.
Call from the Ukrainian Film Academy
Over the weekend, the Ukrainian Film Academy prepared a petition calling for an international boycott of Russian cinema and the Russian film industry.
While not a very important market for Hollywood movies, Russia is an important one, with a box office of $601 million in 2021 accounting for about 2.8 percent of worldwide ticket sales.
Especially in the last ten years, Disney has increasingly targeted Russian audiences with its films for the local market, and in December, Disney released Russia The Last Warrior: A Messenger of Darkness. The third film in a popular fantasy franchise, it became the ninth highest-grossing local-language film of all time in Russia.
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