Netflix has discontinued operations in Russia as a result of the country’s escalating invasion of Ukraine. “We have chosen to discontinue our service in Russia due to the situation on the ground,” a Netflix spokeswoman stated.
Netflix’s decision is part of a cultural backlash that has seen every major Hollywood company put a hold on releasing films in Russia. Disney stated on Feb. 28 that it would pull films from the nation, and Warner Bros. followed suit within hours, revealing that The Batman will be pulled at the eleventh hour. Sony, Paramount, and Universal have also announced that they will no longer release pictures in the country, including Sony’s Morbius, Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Michael Bay’s Ambulance (Universal).
The Ukrainian Film Academy has called for a boycott of Russian films, while the Cannes Film Festival has declared its support for Ukraine. As a result of the issue, upcoming concerts by Green Day and Louis Tomlinson have been cancelled.
Despite a Russian regulation that went into force at the beginning of March, Netflix has stated that it will not broadcast Russian state television networks “given the current scenario.” Netflix also paused production on all future Russian-language series earlier this week, including a modern retelling of Anna Karenina — the streaming service’s first original Russian series — and Zato, a neo-noir detective drama. According to reports, the streamer has fewer than 1 million members in Russia, out of a total of 222 million worldwide.
Vladimir Putin began Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is now spreading throughout many major cities. Over a million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring EU countries, with many more displaced within the country.
