March 1 (UPI) -- Disney, Warner Bros. and Sony are pulling upcoming, major theatrical releases from Russia due to the country's invasion of Ukraine.
Disney will not be releasing Turning Red, a new animated film from Pixar featuring Sandra Oh, Rosalie Chiang and James Hong, in Russia. The film was originally set to hit theaters in Russia on March 10.
"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," a spokesperson said in a statement.
"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," the statement continued.
Warner Bros. will be pulling The Batman from Russian theaters. The comic book epic, which was set to open in Russia on Thursday, stars Robert Pattinson, Zoƫ Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Jeffrey Wright and Andy Serkis.
"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," a WarnerMedia spokesperson said in a statement.
Sony, meanwhile, is pulling its Marvel film Morbius starring Jared Leto, Tyrese Gibson, Matt Smith and Michael Keaton, from Russia. The film was sit to hit theaters in Russia on March 24.
"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. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly," a Sony spokesperson said in a statement.
