UPDATE: Universal Pictures final major studio halting releases in Russia following Ukraine invasion

UPDATE: Universal Pictures is now the final major studio to halt releasing films in Russia following their invasion of Ukraine, per Deadline. The studio follows Disney, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, and Paramount Pictures in doing so and they will also be monitoring the situation as it evolves. Upcoming theatrical releases for Universal abroad include Focus Features’ Belfast, DreamWorks Animation’s The Bad Guys, Michael Bay’s Ambulance and Jurassic World Dominion. Oscar nominated Belfast was set to hit theaters in Russia on March 10. In a statement Universal Pictures said, “In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Universal Pictures has paused planned theatrical releases in Russia.” This echoes the sentiment of other major studios and it’s honestly nice to see them all line up in solidarity in show of support for Ukraine.

ORIGINAL STORY

In a strong show of support for Ukraine, many major studios are halting some of their upcoming releases from debuting in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine last week.

Earlier this week, Disney, Sony, and Warner Bros. were some of the first studios to pause the release of their films in Russia. Disney won’t allow the upcoming release of Turning Red to take place there while Sony halted Morbius and Warner Bros. made the same move with The Batman. In fact, the move, at least in the case of Disney and Sony, will include all of their upcoming releases. When Disney made the decision they released a statement that read, “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. We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.” Disney also stated that they were working with its non-governmental organization partners “to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees” displaced by the military assault.

Per Deadline, Sony’s statement on the matter reads, “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.”

In regards to the release of The Batman in Russia, WarnerMedia said via a spokesperson, “In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarneMedia is pausing the release of the 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.”

Just today, Paramount Pictures became the latest Hollywood studio to pause the theatrical release of upcoming films in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Paramount Pictures stated, “As we witness the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, we have decided to pause the theatrical release of our upcoming films in Russia, including The Lost City and Sonic The Hedgehog 2. We stand by all those impacted by the humanitarian crisis across Ukraine, Russia, and our international markets and will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds.”

Across much of the entertainment industry, companies have been debating the prospect of releasing content in Russia during this crisis. Netflix also made moves on Monday by not carrying 20 Russian free-to-air propaganda channels that the streamer could be required to host under Russian law. As many of these entities have said, the situation continues to evolve so we will see what other moves will be made if the conflict continues.

Do YOU agree with the decision to halt theatrical releases in Russia?