Bootleg ‘Spider-Man’ swings into Russian cinemas despite Hollywood boycott
Russian cinemas are illegally screening Hollywood films like 'Spider-Man' by using 'prescreening services' to bypass the lack of official distribution certificates. This practice has emerged following the withdrawal of major studios from the Russian market due to the war in Ukraine.
Why it matters
The trend illustrates how Russian businesses are circumventing international sanctions and copyright laws to maintain access to Western cultural products.
“Spider-Man” fans dressed up as their favorite web-slinger have swung into cinemas across Russia to see the latest installment of the franchise, despite Sony Pictures ending all of its theatrical releases in the country at the start of the war with Ukraine. Wearing a homemade costume with the iconic spider symbol drawn onto a red shirt, Almir, 27, was among the hundreds who flocked to the cinema to watch “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” in the city of Kazan, which sits around 500 miles east of the capital, Moscow. “I did it myself, since I didn’t have money for a full suit,” he told NBC News in a Zoom interview last week, adding that demand for tickets was so great that he had to book three weeks in advance.
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