‘The Batman’: Russia release paused in wake of Ukraine invasion

Sony Pictures is the latest company to pause its business operations in Russia in the wake of the Ukraine invasion. SPE’s Tony Vinciquerra informed staff of the decision in a memo Friday that was obtained by TheWrap, and the pause of business operations includes halting planned home entertainment releases of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and other future TV distribution deals.

Joe Biden announced on Friday that the U.S. and its allies are moving to revoke Russia’s “most favored nation” trade status following its invasion of Ukraine.

Manchester United and Man City have both agreed, along with other clubs and the Premier League, to suspend Russian broadcast rights.

Netflix has suspended its service in Russia entirely in protest of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.The streaming service joins a growing list of companies that have stopped serving Russia since the full-scale invasion began on February 24.Netflix had previously announced a hold on Russian projects and acquisitions and refused to carry 20 Russian propaganda channels that it was required to host under Russian law. Now, the service has been shut down entirely in the country.“Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” a spokesperson told Variety of the move.The platform’s previous sanctions on the country had seen four Russian original works put on pause.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterRobert Pattinson’s “The Batman” towered over international box office charts, collecting $120 million from 74 overseas markets.After debuting to $128.5 million in North America, the Warner Bros. comic book adventure has generated $248.5 million globally to date.

The Batman” offers a new take on the Caped Crusader a decade after Christopher Nolan wrapped up his Dark Knight Trilogy and a few years after Ben Affleck’s take on the character somewhat petered out. This new film comes from “War for the Planet of the Apes” and “Let Me In” filmmaker Matt Reeves, who draws from gritty crime procedurals like “Seven” and “Zodiac” to craft a nearly three-hour detective story with a man dressed as a bat following clues left behind by a serial killer calling himself The Riddler. It’s a dark, moody and wildly compelling twist on the Batman character that somehow manages to feel fresh.

Playing the Riddler was difficult in some unexpected ways for Paul Dano.

Sony has become the latest studio to pause the release of its films in Russia — including the high-profile Marvel pic Morbius, starring Jared Leto — as the country continues its invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

J. Kim Murphy Warner Bros.

Well, that was quick.

The Walt Disney Company is halting the release of its upcoming films in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. “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,” a spokesperson for The Walt Disney Company said in a statement Monday. “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.

Ellise Shafer The Walt Disney Company announced on Monday that they will be pausing all theatrical releases in Russia, including that of “Turning Red,” which premieres March 11.“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,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.

New sanctions have been announced targeting Russia's central bank.