Hollywood refuses to open its biggest films in Russia

https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/ [login to see] /hollywood-refuses-to-open-biggest-films-in-russia
As Russia continues its invasion, the Ukrainian Film Academy has called for an international boycott of Russian cinema. Europe's film industry expressed solidarity, with the Cannes and Venice film festivals announcing they're barring anyone with ties to the Kremlin. Major Hollywood studios are taking action, too.

Warner Brothers had been scheduled to release The Batman to theaters in Russia on Friday. But days ago, WarnerMedia announced that in light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, it's pausing the release of its new superhero movie starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight who faces down Gotham City's villains.

In Russia, Sony Pictures Entertainment will delay the film Morbius, starring Jared Leto as a doctor who becomes a vampire. Similarly, Paramount Pictures will not release the animated sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da'Vine Joy Randolph and Brad Pitt.

The Hollywood boycott of Russia is welcome news for producer Illia Svidler, the CEO of Ukrainian film distributor Kinolife.

"When all the big Hollywood movies are not released, people feel it," he said from an apartment in Dnipro, a six-hour drive from Kyiv. He's hunkering down there with his wife, their 8 month old daughter and his parents, and says when the air raid sirens go off, they shelter together in the bathroom.