Paramount and Universal are the latest to join the line of major studios pulling their films from Russian theaters following the nation’s invasion into Ukraine. Disney, Warner Bros., and Sony announced they pulled their films on Monday.
“In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Universal Pictures has paused planned theatrical releases in Russia,” a Universal spokesperson said in a statement.
Universal had the animated The Bad Guys due in Russia on March 24, with Michael Bay’s Ambulance to follow on April 7. The Bad Guys is a DreamWorks animation production and voice stars Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, and Awkwafina. Ambulance stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as two men who partake in a bank heist gone wrong that sees them involved in a hostage situation in an ambulance.
Paramount also pulled Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the Sandra Bullock-Channing Tatum-Brad Pitt romantic adventure comedy, The Lost City.
“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,” Paramount announced Tuesday morning in a statement.
The first Sonic the Hedgehog, raked in close to $11M in Russia, and Bullock’s Ocean’s Eight did $6.3M, so Paramount may face some financial loss because of this.
This all started on Monday when Disney announced it would pause the release of the Pixar film, Turning Red, in Russia. This triggered a chain of other studios following suit. Warner Bros. halted the release of The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson and Zoe Kravitz, while Sony pulled their upcoming Marvel film Morbius starring Jared Leto.
The MPA put out a statement regarding the studios’ decisions. “The Motion Picture Association stands with the international community in upholding the rule of law and condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On behalf of our member companies, who lead the film, TV, and streaming industry, we express our strongest support for Ukraine’s vibrant creative community who, like all people, deserve to live and work peacefully. We will continue to monitor the situation, working closely with our members and partners throughout the global creative sector.”
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