(New York) Entertainment giants Disney, WarnerMedia and Sony Pictures have suspended theatrical release of their films in Russia, including the latest Batman, after the invasion of Ukraine, mimicking other companies with chose to disengage, temporarily or not, from the country.
Updated at 9:26 a.m.
“Given the invasion […] of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis, we are suspending theatrical release of films in Russia, including Pixar’s upcoming Red Alert,” Disney said in a statement Monday.
“We will make future business decisions based on how the situation develops,” it added.
In the meantime, Disney says it is working with NGOs to provide emergency aid and other forms of humanitarian assistance to refugees.
Another major American studio, WarnerMedia, has also indicated that given the crisis in Ukraine, it will “pause” the release of the latest version of Batman in Russia. The group “continues to monitor the development of the situation”, according to a message sent to AFP.
Sony Pictures, a subsidiary of the Japanese group Sony, for its part announced that it was suspending the launch of its films in theaters in Russia, including that of “Morbius”, its new blockbuster in the universe of superheroes.
Sony Pictures justified its decision in a press release by “the continuing military action in Ukraine, the resulting uncertainty and the humanitarian crisis triggered in this region”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected and we hope this crisis is resolved quickly,” Sony Pictures added.
Other multinationals have distanced themselves from Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.
Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft took steps on Monday to limit the dissemination of information from news outlets affiliated with the Russian government.
Much more drastically, the British oil companies BP and Shell have announced that they are parting with their shares in joint projects with Russian groups in Russia.
For some foreign companies, however, disengaging from Russia overnight, by closing factories or supermarkets, remains difficult.