‘Batman’ will still open in Russia but what will happen next? – The Hollywood Reporter
Across Hollywood, studio executives are debating whether to pull their upcoming films from Russia amid that country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian box office has for many years been fertile ground for Hollywood event photos, including the current Sony blockbuster Spider-Man: There’s no way homehas made $44.5 million there to date.
To date, major Hollywood studios have refused to officially comment on the Ukraine invasion. The Motion Picture Association was also unavailable for comment.
But behind the scenes, there’s been a lot of talk about what would happen if Russia didn’t back down. One studio executive said: “If the US and its allies want to separate Russia from the rest of the world, how are we going to go ahead and release our movies there?” Another executive added: “How can people advertise their movies in the state media right now in Russia?”
So far, Warner Bros. superhero movie Batman is still scheduled to open in Russia on March 3 as part of its worldwide release (the film will officially open in North America on March 4).
Box office sources say it is difficult to pull a film from Russia into the 11th time slot. For example, during the weekend of February 25-27, both Joe Wright’s and Joe Wright’s. Cyrano and by Paramount Celebrating 50 years of the Godfather opened in Russia, while Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile and from Sony Not detected yet holds high positions on the Russian box office charts.
Studio sources add that cinemas in Russia are privately owned, rather than controlled by Vladimir Putin’s government. However, many advertising-media platforms are state-owned.
Upcoming Hollywood event photos included by Paramount The Lost City of Z and Sonic the Hedgehog 2along with the sequels in Magical Creatures and Sorcerer Supreme Franchising.
Hollywood studios will likely be affected by the European Union’s decision over the weekend to exclude Russia from the SWIFT global banking system. Without SWIFT, studios could not get any money back from their Russian distribution partners.
Also over the weekend, the Ukrainian Film Academy called for an international boycott of Russian cinema and the Russian film industry following Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine earlier this week.
In an online petition, the Academy urges producers to stop licensing their films and series to Russia, international film festivals ban Russian films from their lineups, and ask filmmakers to International production terminates all business contracts with Russian companies.
“We urge you to terminate all contracts with them,” the petition reads. “Remember that the business that will use your film to pay taxes to the Russian budget, which funds the military that violates the borders of an independent country and buys missiles to bomb civilians in Europe. ”
Western governments, including the US, European Union, UK and Canada, have announced wide-ranging economic sanctions, including one against Putin himself and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov .
There have also been cultural sanctions, with the European Broadcasting Union on Friday barring Russia from participating in its hugely popular Eurovision Song Contest in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s soccer body said. Europe UEFA moved the Champions League final from St.Petersburg to Paris in protest, and the Formula 1 racing organization canceled a race planned in Russia for September.
