Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most popular video game characters in history. He first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which was released in 1992. Sonic is known for his speed, agility, and courage. He has starred in dozens of video games over the years and has become a pop culture icon.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 premier paused in Russia
Following the invasion of Ukraine last week, the latest movie studio to halt the theatrical release of its upcoming films in Russia is Paramount.“As we witness the proceeding tragedy in Ukraine, we’ve settled to pause the theatrical release of our approaching movies in Russia, including the Lost City,’ and‘ Sonic the Hedgehog 2.’ We stand by all those affected by the humanitarian crisis across Ukraine, Russia, and our international markets and will persist to watch the situation as it unfolds,” a studio spokesperson said in a statement.
Universal joined the boycott later on Tuesday, meaning the five chief Hollywood studios have officially cut off their movies from Russia for the time being. Universal doesn’t have a big release until Michael Bay’s “Ambulance” opens in April.
Many other movies are halted in Russia
In light of the current Ukraine situation, Disney, Sony, and Warner Bros. have made similar decisions to not screen new movies like “Turning Red,” “Morbius,” and “The Batman” in Russian movie theatres. For the moment, several Hollywood films that have already premiered in Russia, including Sony’s video game adaptation “Uncharted” and Disney’s murder mystery “Death on the Nile,” will continue to be shown there until their licensing agreement expires.
First poster for 'Sonic The Hedgehog 2' arrives, with the trailer flying in tomorrow ✈️ @getfandomgaming pic.twitter.com/7gEIioTewE
— Fandom (@getFANDOM) December 8, 2021
Latest big-budget movies succeed in Russia
Russia is not a make-or-break cinematic market, but recent big-budget films have done well there. For example, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” generated a whopping $44 million there, and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” collected $32 million in the country, making it the second-biggest market for that movie following North America. “Uncharted” and “Death on the Nile,” the two latest Hollywood releases, have made $9 million and $6.7 million, respectively.
When will the movies resume their release?
Other studios, which stated it would “maintain a close eye on the situation as it unfolds,” have spoken about their intentions, while Paramount is going to keep an eye on “the evolving situation.“We will make future commercial decisions based on the changing scenario,” a Disney representative announced Monday. “In the meanwhile, given the enormous scale of the oncoming refugee crisis, we’re working with our NGO partners to provide immediate aid and other humanitarian assistance to refugees.”
By the time the dangerous situation escalates, we have to pray for the refugees and the situation to get normal. The halted movies will resume their premiers when the situation comes under control.
