“Last week, after the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine, we announced that We suspend the showing of films in cinemas in Russia We are reviewing our activities in that country. “Due to the brutal attack on Ukraine and the escalation of the humanitarian crisis, we are taking steps to stop all other projects in Russia,” a Walt Disney Company spokesperson said in a statement.
A company spokesperson added: “We can pause and stop some of these businesses immediately. Others – such as linear channels and licensing certain content and products – take time due to the complexity of contracts.”
Disney has several linear channels in Russia, and Saint Petersburg has long been an outlet for the company’s cruise lines. Similarly, consumer products from the Disney brand and National Geographic magazine have long been available all over the world, including in Russia.
A Disney spokesperson added that the company’s employees working in Russia will remain in their jobs.
Disney has joined a long list of media companies that decided to either pause or leave Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, and after Russia’s legislative Duma passed a law banning “fake news.” Russian media have been ordered to publish information only from government sources and must describe the situation in Ukraine as a “special military operation”. The words “war” and “invasion” were banned by the media organizer Roskomnadzor. The independent radio station Echo of Moscow was closed, Dozhj TV was banned at the request of the Prosecutor General’s Office Due to the publication, reportedly, of “false information about the actions of Russian forces” in the war with Ukraine.
this week Amazon, Warner Media, and Discovery suspended its activities in Russia, Similar to Netflix. The war also affected productions in Eastern Europe, with Russia, Ukraine and neighboring countries becoming popular destinations for some international film and television productions.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters
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