In light of world events and Russia invading Ukraine, WarnerMedia has pulled the planned rollout of The Batman movie from Russian movie theaters.
The move, described for now as “indefinitely” being held, follows Disney temporary pulling movies from the country as well, according to Deadline. The rival studio’s decision to postpone its entire slate in the country appeared to be a motivating factor.
“In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film, The Batman movie in Russia,” Warner Bros. said in a statement. “We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy.”
The Ukrainian Film Academy has been petitioning the film industry to boycott Russian cinema since the country first invaded Ukraine earlier this month and it looks like studios are finally taking action.
“At a time when world powers are imposing economic and political sanctions on the Russian Federation, the country continues to be active in the cultural field,” the petition read. “In particular, several films made by Russia are regularly admitted to the programs of most world film festivals, and significant resources are spent on their promotion.”
Additionally, the petition calls out how the activity helps to spread propaganda messages and distorted facts, and boosts the loyalty of Russian culture.
“Even the very presence of Russian films in the program of world film festivals creates the illusion of Russia’s involvement in the values of the civilized world,” it said.
Disney is pulling Pixar’s Turning Red, which was supposed to premiere this weekend.
“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,” the company said in a statement. “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. 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 to refugees.”
Those in the U.S. can expect to see The Batman movie become a blockbuster over the upcoming weekend.
