Will 'The Batman' release in Russia? Warner Bros takes SHOCKING decision over film's release
Warner Bros. has taken the tough decision to not release its upcoming movie ‘The Batman’ in Russia due to its ongoing war with Ukraine. The decision comes at the 11th hour as it was previously reported that the production house will be going ahead with the release of the movie as per plan.
‘The Batman’ is undoubtedly one of the biggest releases of the year and viewers in Russia were eagerly waiting for the movie to release there. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted WB to take such a decision. The production giant released a statement and said that it is “pausing” the release of ‘The Batman’ in the light of the “humanitarian crisis”. The statement also revealed that the studio will continue to monitor the situation and hope for a “peaceful resolution.”
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“In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its 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,” a WarnerMedia spokesperson said in a statement.
‘The Batman’ stars Robert Pattinson in the titular role and sees Paul Dano (The Riddler), Zoe Kravitz (Selina Kyle/Catwoman), Andy Serkis (Alfred), and Colin Farrell (Penguin) in pivotal roles. The reviews have started pouring in for the movie and the critics can’t stop raving about the movie, calling it “one of the comic book movies ever made.” Directed by Matt Reeves, the movie is scheduled to hit theatres on Friday, March 4.
WB was not the only production company to halt the release of its movie due to the ongoing war. Sony quickly followed suit and decided to pause its release of Jared Leto’s ‘Morbius’ in Russia as well. The production house released a statement and said that it will be “pausing” its planned releases in Russia due to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The release also said, “Our thoughts are prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis be resolved quickly.”
Disney was the first major Hollywood studio to say that it won’t be releasing its movies in Russia for a while. The studio said that the “unprovoked invasion” of Ukraine is shocking and painful. As a result, Disney took the decision of not releasing its films in Russia for some time and will make future business decisions “based on the evolving situation.”
Russia has always been one of the biggest markets for cinema and viewers come in large numbers to see Hollywood movies in theatres. As far as the war is concerned, United Nations has revealed that more than 100 people have been killed and hundreds have sustained critical injuries in more than four days of fighting.