Warner Bros., Disney, and Sony have confirmed that they will be pulling their biggest releases from Russian cinemas in response to the ongoing invasion in Ukraine.
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine last week in a "special military operation" that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians, while thousands more have been forced to flee their homes in terror.
With just under a week until The Batman is expected to arrive in cinemas worldwide, Warner Bros. has announced the movie will no longer release in Russia.
“In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film The Batman in Russia," a statement confirmed. "We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.”
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Russia's actions against Ukraine have already been met with tough sanctions imposed by countries around the world, including the US and UK. Further measures are expected to be put in place unless there's a de-escalation to the conflict.
Soon after Warner Bros. announced it would be pulling The Batman, both Disney and Sony announced that they would be "pausing" the release of theatrical films in Russia, including Pixar's Turning Red and the Spider-Man spinoff Morbius.
“Given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are pausing the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming Turning Red from Pixar," Disney said.
Sony added: “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,”
Topics: Batman, Disney, Sony, Warner Bros