Disney announced on Monday that it will suspend the distribution of all of its films in Russian theatrical chains, according to media reports.
“Turning Red”, originally scheduled to be released in Russia on March 11, will not meet Russian audiences as scheduled.
As the release time is too close, Warner’s “The Batman” will be released in Russia on March 3 as scheduled, but the Hollywood industry believes that the next situation will not be too optimistic.
The Russian box office has been fertile ground for Hollywood blockbusters in recent years, with Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” grossing $44.5 million so far in Russia.
The 50th anniversary re-releases of the Hollywood films “Cyrano” and “The Godfather” will also be shown in Russia this weekend from February 25th to 27th.
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Since the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine on February 21, Russia has been sanctioned by all walks of life, and Disney is the first Hollywood studio to make a tentative distribution business.
Disney’s statement said: “Considering the invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we have decided to suspend distribution operations. Future business decisions will be based on changes in the current situation. Given the scale of the ongoing refugee crisis, we Emergency and other humanitarian aid is being provided to refugees with NGO partners.”
Over the weekend, the Ukrainian Film Academy called for an international boycott of Russian films and the Russian film industry after Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this week.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in an online petition calls on producers to stop licensing their films and series in Russia, calls on international film festivals not to feature Russian films, and calls on international producers to end their relationships with Russian companies any business dealings.
“Remember, your film business pays taxes to the Russian government, which finances troops that invaded independent nations and buys missiles to bomb civilians in Europe,” the petition reads.
In terms of sports, FIFA+UEFA announced that the Russian national team and club have been banned from participating in all FIFA and UEFA competitions.
The Russian national team missed the World Cup, the UEFA Europa League match of Sparta Moscow was cancelled, and the opponent Leipzig directly advanced.
Related Post: Several Hollywood companies suspend the release of new films in Russia.
