Netflix pauses all Russian projects and acquisitions amid Ukraine conflict

Netflix has become the latest media corporation to halt all of its projects and acquisitions in Russia as the country's government continues to invade Ukraine.

The global streaming service had four Russian originals in development, including Zato, a mystery-drama series set just after the demise of the Soviet Union. 

Anna K, centering on the life of St. Petersburg socialite Anna Karenina, and Nothing Special had also been filming, and have now had their productions put on hold while the platform assesses the impact of current events.

On Monday, February 28, The Walt Disney Company confirmed that it would be postponing all theatrical releases in Russia, starting with Pixar’s Turning Red which was due to premiere in the country on March 10. That same day, Warner Bros. announced that it was halting the release of The Batman in Russia, too.

In accordance with the French government’s sanction against Russia, the Cannes Film Festival declared on Tuesday, March 1, that Russian delegations or attendees with ties to the government were no longer welcome. Elsewhere, Series Mania Festival and MipTV said there won’t be a Russian presence at their respective events.

The Biennale arts exhibition in Venice pulled its Russian pavilion, as the city’s official film festival continues to wrestle with calls to boycott Russian movies. Kirill Sokolov’s No Looking Back and Lado Kvataniya’s The Execution will no longer be screened at the Glasgow Film Festival in Scotland.

On the flip side, Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival explained that it would still be showing Russian films when its 2022 run kicks off in August.

If you want to help the people of Ukraine, consider donating to The Ukrainian Red Cross, which is providing vital aid on the ground; Doctors Without Borders, which is working with local volunteers and healthcare professionals; and The Kyiv Independent, a Ukraine-based English-language newspaper which is keeping the world informed on what's happening on the ground.