Streaming powerhouse Netflix has announced that it would no longer produce Russian content. Netflix has chosen to halt all future projects and acquisitions from Russia due to President Vladimir Putin’s military operations in Ukraine, Variety reported.
The streaming service had four Russian originals in the works, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk that was filming but has since been cancelled. The 1990s-set series was Netflix’s second original series to be shot in Russia, following last year’s ‘Anna K.’
The programme has roughly 1 million customers and was launched in the country just over a year ago.Prior to Netflix’s announcement, Disney and Warner Bros. declared that their theatrical releases in Russia will be halted.
Following Russia’s war on Ukraine, Hollywood companies are releasing theatrical films in the country.
The Walt Disney Company was the first major Hollywood studio to condemn Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, declaring Monday that all film premieres in the nation, including the upcoming Pixar feature “Turning Red,” would be halted. Warner Bros. and Sony also declared on Monday that they will not be releasing pictures in the nation. On Tuesday, Universal and Paramount Pictures followed likewise.
The release of “The Batman,” which was set to be released this week, has been postponed by Warner Bros. Sony has also announced that all of its planned theatrical releases in the region, including the upcoming “Morbius,” will be postponed.
“The Lost City” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” from Paramount will similarly be unavailable in Russia. While ticket sales in Russia are not as high as in China, the country remains a key market for Hollywood studios. According to Comscore data, the Russian box office accounts for roughly 3% of total global ticket sales on average.
Russia has retaliated with its own round of measures. The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has joined the Union of European Football Associations in banning Russian teams from tournaments until further notice, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The National Hockey League, which contains more than a dozen Russian-born players, has halted contracts with Russian corporations, and the International Olympic Committee has suggested that Russian teams be barred from competing because they violated the “Olympic Truce.”
