The studio boycott of Russia — Disney, Sony, Warner Bros. and Paramount all stopped releasing their films in the territory following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine — also still stands.
The list of new indie titles that have secured a Russian release is long and varied, from STX’s Guy Ritchie war movie , to Goodfellas’ Iranian thriller Winnie The Pooh: Blood and HoneyWith no Hollywood blockbusters to compete with inside Russia, independent titles can reap a box office bonanza. Beta Cinema, a boutique European sales group, was active in Russia before the war but has entirely cut ties with its partners in the territory since the invasion. Beta Cinema boss Jan Mojto dismisses arguments, made by some sales companies who oppose a Russian boycott, that Western films could serve as an antidote to pro-Putin propaganda.
There are also various circuitous, though perfectly legal, ways of selling films into Russia without doing business with a Russian company, such as going through an offshore firm based in a country not under the sanctions regime.