Hollywood studios have decided: Batman will not reach Russia because of the war with Ukraine

The big 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 stops the distribution of its film “Batman” in Russia“said a studio spokesman.”We will continue to monitor how the situation develops. 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.

“Due to the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are stopping the release of films in Russia, including the upcoming “May Red Panda” by Pixar“said a Disney spokesman.”Future business decisions will be made according to the evolving situation. Meanwhile, due to the scale of the looming 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 insecurity and humanitarian crisis in the region, we will suspend planned productions in Russia, including the forthcoming release of Morbius.“The film, which stars 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.“, added the company.

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