“Batman”
Warner boycotts the Russian market
Robert Pattinson is not to be seen in Russia as “The Batman” until further notice.
© Warner Bros.
Shortly before the cinema release: Warner Bros. is withdrawing “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson from Russia. Other studios take a similar approach.
Warner Bros. is not bringing “The Batman” to Russian cinemas for the time being. The move comes in response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. The film with Robert Pattinson (35) as a masked avenger was supposed to start on March 3rd as part of its global premiere. Among other things reported the “Hollywood Reporter” about the decision of the film distributor.
“In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film ‘The Batman’ in Russia,” a Warner spokesman said in a statement. “We will continue to follow the development of the situation. We hope for a quick and peaceful solution to this tragedy,” it said.
Disney put forward, Sony is following suit
Warner isn’t the only studio boycotting the Russian market because of the war. Walt Disney Pictures presented on Monday. Among other things, the group is pausing the broadcast of “Red” in Russia. The Pixar film was scheduled to open on March 10th. It is not yet clear how long the stop will last. “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation,” said a Disney spokesman.
Warner Bros followed suit, then the Motion Picture Association responded. The association of the largest US film production companies (including Netflix) also released a statement. In it, the association expressed its “strong support for the vibrant creative community of Ukraine, which, like all people, deserves to live and work in peace”.
Sony Pictures followed suit as the next studio. “Morbius” should not come to Russia for the time being. The Spider-Man spin-off would have hit the lucrative Russian market on March 24th.