Hollywood is refusing to release its most popular films in Russia.
The Ukrainian Film Academy has urged for an international boycott of Russian movies as the country's military aggression continues. The Cannes and Venice film festivals have announced plans to bar anyone with Kremlin ties from attending. As well, major Hollywood studios are taking action.
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According to Russian news reports, Warner Bros. had planned to release The Batman in theaters in Russia on Friday. WarnerMedia has announced that it is delaying the release of its new superhero film featuring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight. He battles Gotham City's criminals owing to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.
Sony Pictures Entertainment has pushed back the film Morbius, which stars Jared Leto as a doctor who becomes a vampire. The animated sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog 2, titled Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Mischievous Dragon, will not be released by Paramount Pictures.
The fast-moving developments come as the Russian film industry is in a state of flux. The Moscow Film Commission announced last week that it would no longer issue production permits to foreign filmmakers, a move that could effectively block Hollywood productions from shooting in the country.
The Hollywood boycott of Russia is welcome news for producer Illia Svidler, the CEO of Ukrainian film distributor Kinolife.
“When all the big Hollywood movies are not released, people feel it,” he said from an apartment in Dnipro, a six-hour drive from Kyiv. He's hunkering down there with his wife, their eight-month-old daughter, and his parents and says when the air raid sirens go off, they shelter together in the bathroom.
The Walt Disney Company announced collaborating with its NGO partners to provide humanitarian aid to Ukrainian refugees. Starting later this year, Pixar's Turning Red will be the first Disney film not available in Russia.
Netflix has announced that it is suspending production and acquisitions of Russian original programming. The company also stated that it has no plans to include state-sponsored material, considered propaganda.
Sony's action-adventure film Uncharted, with Tom Holland, is one of the most popular movies in Russia. Last year, more than 10 million Russian moviegoers watched Spider-Man: No Way Home. Given that, Russian film critic Anton Dolin says the theatrical boycotts are “catastrophic,” even “apocalyptic” for the Russian film industry.
In an op-ed article for the Telegram Meduza news site, Dolin predicts that Russian film productions will be canceled. Russian moviegoers will watch pirated Hollywood movies if the Internet is still accessible.
According to Svidler, more than 70% of the movies shown in Russia are Hollywood productions. According to him, the boycott will destroy these earnings, which is helping pay for Russia's military operations. “They will have only a few independent films and Russian films,” he claims, adding that the embargo is a “neat financial instrument of war.”
According to Svidler, Ukrainian cinemas have been shuttered, and some film studios have taken on a defensive function for families trying to survive Russian bombs.
About the Ukraine / Russian conflict:
In 2014, Russia annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. This move was condemned by most of the international community. In response, the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on Russia.
Since then, Russia has been supporting separatists in eastern Ukraine. The conflict has resulted in over 10,000 deaths. There is a humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine, as many people have been displaced from their homes.
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