Here’s a look at the global response from the entertainment industry regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Warner Bros. pulls “The Batman” release in Russia
Just days before the release of “The Batman” starring Robert Pattinson, which premieres internationally on Friday, WarnerMedia, which produced the film, moved to delay distribution plans in Russia.
“In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film ‘The Batman’ in Russia,” a spokesperson for the studio said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.”
Shortly before that, Walt Disney Co. had announced a similar decision, pausing the release of the Pixar film “Turning Red,” which was set to premiere in Russia March 10.
“We will make future decisions based on the evolving situation,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Sony Pictures also announced it would pause theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming film “Morbius” — a Spider-Man spinoff slated for early April.
While Russia is not a leading market for Hollywood, the country typically ranks in the top dozen countries globally in box offices, according to the Associated Press.
The flurry of announcements by Hollywood studios followed the European Union’s decision over the weekend to eject Russia from the SWIFT global banking system. Without SWIFT, studios may not be able to get any money back from their Russian distribution partners, according to THR.
Netflix says it will decline to carry Russian state channels
Netflix announced on Monday that it would decline to carry Russian news channels on its streaming platform, defying a regulation beginning this month that requires it to do so, according to THR.
In December, Russia’s communications regulator added Netflix to its “audiovisual services” sector, which means Netflix’s Russian service would be required to carry 20 major Russian federal television channels, which carry pro-Putin propaganda, starting March 1. It is unclear how Netflix plans to defy the law and what impact it will have on its Russian service, according to THR.
Netflix’s defiance against Russia comes as other tech giants like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are weighing what to do with their operations in Russia to mitigate disinformation. Meta, Facebook’s parent company, has paused ad monetization for Russian state media, and announced on Sunday it had taken down dozens of fake accounts spreading misinformation across its platforms. Twitter is also labeling all content from Russian government-owned media sites, according to THR.
Green Day, AJR cancel Russia concerts
The live-entertainment industry also began responding this week to the crisis in Ukraine.
On Sunday, American rock band Green Day called off its show at Moscow’s Spartak Stadium scheduled for the end of May, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it’s so much bigger than that,” the band wrote on Instagram.
The indie band AJR also canceled its October show in Moscow, writing on Twitter, “Thank you to our Russian fans who oppose their country’s unprovoked and criminal behavior. Our hearts are with the people of Ukraine. At this point, the best thing you can do is share ACCURATE info.”
European response
Over the weekend, the European Film Academy announced it had joined “the massive global sanctions currently in effect against Russia and fully supports the call of the Ukrainian Film Academy to boycott Russian film,” adding that it would exclude Russian films from this year’s European Film Awards.
Series Mania, which hosts a film festival in Lille, France, announced that Russia’s state-backed film promotion body, Roskino, would be barred from taking part in the international TV showcase taking place later this month, according to THR. The Stockholm and Glasgow film festivals also announced they would ban Russian state-backed films from their upcoming programs.
MipTV, which puts on international TV showcases in Cannes, France, also said on Tuesday that it would rule out a Russian presence at its events, including at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The festival released a statement that said unless the Russian invasion ends with conditions acceptable to Ukraine, it would not welcome any Russian delegations or anyone connected to the Russian government to its 2022 edition. The film festival, however, voiced its support for Russian artists and film professionals who have “never ceased to fight against” Putin’s regime. It made no comment about whether it would ban individual Russian films from the official selection.
UK screen trade body Pact also called on its members to suspend all co-operation and trade with Russia.
Brittany Bowker can be reached at brittany.bowker@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittbowker and on Instagram @brittbowker.
