Main image credit Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. has officially decided to close its Russian branch, as indicated in a document published in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRUL), reports The Moscow Times. The decision to liquidate the legal entity was made on July 19.
Warner Bros. suspended its operations in Russia in March 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In November 2022, the National Media Group (NMG) received a letter from Warner Bros. representatives prohibiting the showing of Warner Bros. content, despite having a valid license. NMG, which includes channels such as CTC, Domashny, REN TV, Fifth Channel, and media assets like more.tv, was affected by this decision.
Other major Hollywood studios, including Disney, Paramount, Sony, and Universal Pictures, have also taken similar actions in response to the war in Ukraine. Currently, Hollywood premieres are being released in Russia through "shadow" distribution, and these films are not included in the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s list for parallel imports, as they are not classified as goods under the EAEU customs code.
According to film critic Dmitry Yelagin, cinemas are struggling financially as they traditionally relied on concession sales for revenue. They need content to attract audiences, regardless of its ideological background.
Warner Bros. is part of the American media company WarnerMedia, which also owns CNN and HBO. The studio is renowned for its iconic films such as "The Matrix," "Batman," "Superman," "Wonder Woman," "Fantastic Beasts," and "Justice League."
