Universal is the latest Hollywood studio to pause sending its films to Russian theatres, joining the rest of the major studios -- Disney, Warner Bros., Sony and Paramount -- in pulling their releases following Russia's military operation in Ukraine.
"In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, Universal Pictures has paused planned theatrical releases in Russia," a Universal spokesperson said in a statement, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
Universal had the animated 'The Bad Guys' due out in Russia on March 24, with Michael Bay's 'Ambulance' to follow on April 7. 'The Bad Guys' is a DreamWorks Animation production and voice-stars Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos and Awkwafina.
'Ambulance' stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as bank robbers who, after a heist gone wrong, commandeer an ambulance and take the driver and passenger hostage.
Disney kicked off the wave of studio action on Monday, saying it would pull its releases from Russia, including Pixar's 'Turning Red'. Warners and Sony followed suit, while Paramount made its own announcement on Tuesday morning.
The major studios pulling their films followed a weekend move by the European Union to ban Russia from the global interbank messaging system SWIFT. Without SWIFT, studios may not be able to get any money back from their Russian distribution partners, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
For the unversed, last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to "consequences they have never seen."
( With inputs from ANI )
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