Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service will review complaints about the delayed release of ‘Avengers: Endgame’

“Avengers: Endgame,” one of the most anticipated and profitable motion pictures of all time, is premiering in Russia only today, four days after its global release. According to unverified reports, the movie came late to Russia because the Culture Ministry wanted to protect a domestic film, “Billion,” from competing with the Hollywood blockbuster, enraging theater-owners across the country. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) now confirms that a formal complaint against the delayed premiere of “Endgame” was filed on April 26. The agency is required to respond within 30 days.

On April 25, the lawyers who write the Telegram channel Povorot na Pravo (Right Turn) announced an appeal to FAS about the delayed premiere of the new “Avengers” film. The channel shared a copy of the letter (hiding the claimant’s name), which asks FAS to determine if Russia’s Culture Ministry violated antimonopoly regulations by delaying the release of foreign films to assist specific domestic movies.

Last year, Russia’s Culture Ministry initially delayed the premiere of “Avengers: Infinity War,” by eight days, to boost the domestic film “Sobibor.” The ministry ultimately returned “Infinity War” to its original release date in May, but the film wasn’t shown in theaters on May 9, when Russia celebrates the USSR’s victory in the Second World War.