Warner Bros, Disney, Sony halt film releases in Russia over Ukraine invasion

Warner Bros., Disney, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, the prominent Hollywood studios, say they will not be releasing their movies in Russian cinemas, following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The announcements mean the releases of major movies such as ‘The Batman’, ‘Turning Red’ and ‘Morbius’ will not go as planned in Russia.

“Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the theatrical release of films in Russia,” Disney said in a statement while speaking about ‘Turning Red’, its upcoming Pixar animated film.

The entertainment giant said it will work with its non-governmental organisations to provide “urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees”.

‘The Batman’, the Warner Bros movie, is due to premiere in Russia on Friday.

But a spokesperson to the firm said: “In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film ‘The Batman’ in Russia.”

Sony has also halted the release of its Marvel adaptation ‘Morbius’ in Russia.

“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,” BBC quoted a Sony Pictures spokesperson to have said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly.”

The development comes as governments across the world have been ramping up sanctions against the Kremlin.

In the past few days, global corporations, including car manufacturers and energy giants, have cut business ties with Russia.

This is just as the Russian invasion of Ukraine entered day 6 with no signs of relentless.