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A number of big Hollywood movies have had their release in Russia put on hold as the country continues its invasion of Ukraine.
Disney, Sony and Warner Bros. all announced decisions to withhold releases this week following an online petition from the Ukrainian Film Academy, which called for an international boycott of Russian cinema and the Russian film industry.
It came amid a number of sanctions being imposed on Russia following Vladimir Putin's announcement of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.
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Among the films that will not be released immediately in Russia is the highly anticipated new Robert Pattinson film The Batman, which was due to be released on Friday, March 4; Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore on April 14, and DC League of Super-Pets on May 19.
In a statement released on Monday, Warner Bros. explained: '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.'
Warner Bros.' announcement came after earlier confirmation that Disney was going to be pausing the theatrical release of its upcoming Pixar film Turning Red, which tells the story of a young girl who turns into a red panda when she is excited.
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The film was due to premiere on March 10, but has been put on hold as a result of the 'unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis', Disney explained.
As cited by The Guardian, Disney's statement went on to say it would 'make future business decisions based on the evolving situation', but that '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.'
Sony Pictures later joined the two production companies in announcing it would be pausing all theatrical releases in Russia, including Jared Leto's Morbius.
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Sony's statement said: '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. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly.'
News about Russia's theatrical releases comes as Netflix announced it had no plans to add Russian state propaganda channels to its streaming service in the country.
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information
Topics: Russia, Film and TV, World News, Entertainment
Emily Brown