LOS ANGELES: Streaming giant Netflix suspended its service in Russia, a company spokesperson said.
Earlier this week, Netflix temporarily stopped all future projects and acquisitions in Russia as it assessed the impact of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. “Given the circumstances on the ground, we have decided to suspend our service in Russia,” the Netflix spokesperson said.
Netflix had earlier said it had no plans to add state-run channels to its Russian service, despite a regulation that would require it to distribute state-backed channels despite a regulation that would require it to distribute state-backed channels.
The streaming giant had four Russian-language series in production and post-production, including detective drama ‘Zato’ directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has been put on hold. The crime series was Netflix’s second original series filming in Russia, following ‘Anna K’ which wrapped last year.
READ MORE: Netflix pauses all projects, acquisitions in Russia
Russia has been facing a boycott in the film and TV industry. The Cannes film festival has issued a statement saying it would ban official Russian delegations from its 2022 festival unless the Ukraine conflict ends.The Walt Disney Company announced it will similarly be pausing all theatrical releases in Russia, including Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’, set to premiere in the country on March 10. A few hours after the announcement, Warner Bros. halted the release of ‘The Batman’ in Russia.
The Beinnale arts exhibition in Venice scrapped its Russian pavilion, as the Venice Film Festival continues to mull its response to calls for a boycott of Russian movies at the event.
The Glasgow Film Festival in Scotland took a similar stance, decided to pull its two Russian titles this year: Kirill Sokolov’s ‘No Looking Back’ and Lado Kvataniya’s ‘The Execution’. Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival, on the other hand, announced it would show Russian films at its upcoming edition in August.
