Hollywood film studios are temporarily suspending their production in Russia
The major film studios Warner Bros., Walt Disney and Sony Pictures have decided to pause the distribution of their productions in Russia, the Associated Press reported.
In the coming weeks, they are preparing to present long-awaited titles, which, however, will not reach the Russian market. As early as this Friday, Warner Bros. is releasing Batman in theaters in North America and abroad. Initially, the new adventures of the superhero were planned to reach Russian viewers. However, due to the invasion of Ukraine, the distribution of Hollywood productions temporarily stopped.
“In the light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia has stopped the distribution of its Batman film in Russia,” a studio spokesman said. “We will continue to monitor the situation. We hope for a speedy and peaceful resolution of this tragedy,” he added.
Warner Bros. followed the decision of Walt Disney, which announced yesterday that Pixar’s May Red Panda animation would not be released in Russia on March 10, as originally planned. The production will be released directly on the Disney Plus streaming platform.
Before Walt Disney announced its decision, Warner Bros. was expected to release Batman in Russian theaters.
“Because of the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are suspending the release of films in Russia, including the upcoming May Day Red Panda by Pixar,” a Disney spokesman said. “Future business decisions will be made according to the evolving situation. Meanwhile, due to the scale of the impending refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide emergency assistance and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.”
Hollywood is looking for a solution to the Russian market due to increased global pressure to sever business ties with the country due to the war in Ukraine.
The Russian market is not leading for the big Hollywood companies, but the country usually ranks in the top 12 countries in the world box office rankings. Sony’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, for example, grossed $ 1.85 billion worldwide, with $ 46.7 million from ticket sales at Russian theaters. Sony’s latest film, Uncharted: Off the Map, has grossed $ 20 million in Russia in the past two weeks.
The company followed the decisions of Disney and Warner Bros. to stop the distribution of its films on Russian territory.
Due to the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis in the region, we will suspend planned productions in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius, Sony said in a statement for “The Hollywood Reporter”. Jared Leto is expected to hit theaters in early April.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been affected, and we hope that this crisis will be resolved quickly,” the company added.
Source: BTA, The Hollywood Reporter
