Netflix pauses all projects, acquisitions from Russia

The streamer had four Russian originals in the pipeline, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has been put on hold, Variety has learned.

Los Angeles: Streaming giant Netflix has paused all future projects and acquisitions from Russia amid its invasion of Ukraine.

The streamer had four Russian originals in the pipeline, including a crime thriller series directed by Dasha Zhuk, which was shooting and has been put on hold, Variety has learned.

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The 1990’s set series was Netflix’s second original series filming in Russia, following ‘Anna K’ which wrapped last year.

A source close to Netflix said the company was assessing the impact of current events.

On Monday, 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.

Elsewhere in the film and TV industry, Russia has been barred from major festivals and award shows.

The Cannes Film Festival announced on Tuesday that it will not welcome any Russian delegations or attendees with ties to the government, while Series Mania Festival and MipTV said there won’t be a Russian presence at their respective events, in accordance with the French government’s sanction against Russia.

On Monday, 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.