Paramount announced they will not release Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and The Lost City in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
As reported by Deadline, Paramount released a statement that reads, “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.”
The statement adds, “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.”
The first Sonic the Hedgehog film grossed $10.9 million in Russia according to The-Numbers. The film had a worldwide gross of $304.9 millon.
Bullock’s last theatrical release, Ocean’s 8, grossed $6.6 million in Russia. The film’s worldwide gross was $297.7 million.
Paramount’s statement follows those made by Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony.
The Walt Disney announced they would not be releasing the Pixar film Turning Red in Russia with their statement reading, “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.”
They added, “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation. In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.”
Following Disney, Warner Bros. issued their own statement indicating they would not release The Batman. “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.”
Sony would also follow suit, stopping Morbius from being released in the country. A spokesman said, “Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis unfolding in that region, we will be pausing our planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of Morbius.”
The spokesman added, “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly.”
What do you make of Paramount’s announcement?