Distributor Atmosfera Kino sent a letter to Russian cinemas proposing that they postpone the release of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” for several weeks in order to support the domestic film “The Last Bogatyr. Kolobok”. Cinemaplex reported on the mailing.
The letter says the initiative was prepared jointly with the Association of Cinema Owners. According to the company, the box office performance of “Kolobok” is important for preserving the practice of releasing major Russian films during the summer season.
At the same time, the restriction reportedly does not apply to other content without a distribution certificate that had already appeared in cinemas before August 6.
Atmosfera Kino also warned that if screenings of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” begin before August 20, the company reserves the right to reconsider further terms of cooperation with cinemas.
The report does not specify what such a “reconsideration” could mean in practice. Kinopoisk does not list a Russian release date for the film. As the article notes, the movie is being shown in Russia without the rights holder’s license, meaning in effect through piracy. In neighboring Kazakhstan, its premiere is expected on August 6, one week after its Western release.
A similar practice earlier
From May 1 to May 10, according to the article, cinemas had already refused to screen foreign releases at Atmosfera Kino’s request in order to support Russian productions. During that period, viewers were not shown major Western premieres including “Michael” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” while the lineup consisted mostly of Russian films, among them the drama “Kommersant” starring Aleksandr Petrov and the war films “Angels of Ladoga” and “Litvyak.” It later emerged that attendance and box office revenue fell by about one-third during that period compared with the previous May holidays.