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Disney Becomes First Movie Studio to Take Action Against Russia

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Credit: Disney

It would be an understatement to say that it’s been a difficult week in news.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent thousands of his country’s troops to invade neighboring Ukraine. Putin’s military forces have not made any major holds against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian squadrons, and civilians who have formed a strong resistance. Kyiv, the capital city, remains under Ukrainian control at this time, however, Ukraine’s military intelligence headquarters did take heavy fire today.

Now, Disney has revealed in a statement that the company will be halting all theatrical releases in Russia “given the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”

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Credit: Disney

This week has seen many politicians, businesses, and celebrities stand with Ukraine, with the world being extremely vocal about Putin’s actions.

Many companies have started to halt business with Russia, with NATO countries including the United States also issuing sanctions against Russia to help Ukraine and its citizens.

And today, February 28, The Walt Disney Company announced that it is now paused all theatrical releases in Russia:

“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,” the company said in a statement Monday. “We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.

“In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crises, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees,” Disney said.

https://twitter.com/WaltDisneyCo/status/1498449700705357824

The upcoming Pixar movie Turning Red (2022) is Disney’s next big movie release, coming to Disney’s streaming service Disney+ on March 11, 2022.

By “pausing” the release of its movies in Russia, Disney becomes the first Hollywood studio to publicly get involved in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.

Warner Bros., which has originally said it would be continuing with the release of Robert Pattinson’s The Batman (2022) soon reversed its decision after Disney’s announcement.

We are not clear right now how long the pause of Disney’s film releases will be but given the length of time required for marketing and movie releases, we could be looking at Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) starring Benedict Cumberbatch also being affected.

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Credit: Disney

Today, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy signed a formal request to be admitted to the European Union, which would provide the country with some additional protections.

Fighting continues around key cities in Ukraine as the country’s first talks with Russia since last week’s invasion ended with no immediate breakthrough.

About Melissa Cannioto

Melissa is an author, adventurer, and chatterbox, who has worked at Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and Adventures by Disney! A British native, she has traveled the world seeking new experiences, and now resides in Florida with her husband, an Air Force pilot. Find her children's book at @bear.hug.book