Paramount Pictures has announced that it has halted the theatrical releases of all of its upcoming feature films, including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, in Russia. The confirmation from the studio comes following mainstream news reports of Russian forces invading Ukraine last week.
“As we witness the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, we have decided to pause the theatrical release of our upcoming films in Russia, including ‘The Lost City,’ and ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” a spokesperson said in a statement (published by Variety).
“We stand by all those impacted by the humanitarian crisis across Ukraine, Russia, and our international markets and will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds.”
The news follows similar moves from other Hollywood studios and companies such as Disney, Sony and Warner Bros, who are holding back future movie releases (but not already-released titles such as Uncharted, which will continue to play in theatres) in the country “in light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.“
Paramount has said it “will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds.”
If you wish to support the humanitarian crisis taking place in Ukraine, there are a number of charities that are working to help the people of Ukraine, such as United Help Ukraine, Voices of Children and the British Red Cross.
Stay safe Ukrainians.
as john lennon said “Give Peace a Chance”