SPORTS · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Russian Cinema Owners Promise to End Unlicensed Screenings by New Year's
WHY IT MATTERS
The end of unlicensed screenings and the potential delay in the release of popular foreign films in Russia may have significant implications for the country's film industry and its relationship with Hollywood studios, with the outcome of these developments likely to be closely watched in the coming months.
What happened
The Russian Association of Theater Owners has announced that unlicensed screenings of foreign films under the guise of 'pre-show services' will cease by the end of the year. However, government regulations allowing such screenings remain in effect until March 1, 2028.
Meanwhile, Russian audiences may have to wait until April 2027 to see the new Avengers and Dune installments, according to Alexey Voronkov, chairman of the Russian Association of Theater Owners. Voronkov attributes the delay to the fact that no distributor has officially announced the films' release in Russia, and even if negotiations with Hollywood studios are successful, the films could be released no earlier than April 1, 2027.
The promise to end unlicensed screenings comes after a controversy surrounding the postponement of Spider-Man: Brand New Day screenings in favor of the Russian film The Last Warrior: Kolobok, which led to threats against the filmmakers and a criminal investigation.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Russian cinema owners’ group says unlicensed screenings of foreign films will end by New Year’s, and ‘Dunesday’ won’t come before April 2027
Meduza · Discovery only; publisher copyright terms apply