The Walt Disney Company announced Monday that it is withholding theatrical film releases in Russia. It includes the upcoming Pixar Animation Studios feature “Turning Red”. It is due to the “unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis.”
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Disney is the first major Hollywood studio to halt film releases in Russia.
The Ukrainian Film Academy launched an online petition over the weekend. It calls for an international boycott of Russian cinema and the Russian film industry in the aftermath of the invasion.
“We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation,” Disney said in a statement. “In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance.”
Other firms and film releases
Several blockbuster films are set for global release in the near future, including Warner Bros.’ superhero flick The Batman. It was going to release in Russia on Friday.
Warner Bros said: “In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film The Batman in Russia. We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.”
Following in the footsteps of Disney and Warner Bros., Sony Pictures stated that all of their theatrical releases in Russia will pause. It also includes Morbius which has Jared Leto as the Marvel antihero and was going to premiere on March 24.
“Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis unfolding in that region, we will be pausing our planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius,” a Sony Pictures spokesperson said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly.”
Netflix has also announced that it will refuse to broadcast Russian official propaganda in the face of a law that takes effect on March 1 in the country.
According to the law, streaming sites with more than 100,000 daily subscribers must carry 20 major Russian state television stations; many of which also air Kremlin propaganda.