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Russian cinema owners’ group says unlicensed screenings of foreign films will end by New Year’s, and ‘Dunesday’ won’t come before April 2027

Source: NSN

Russian theaters will stop showing unlicensed foreign films under the guise of “pre-show services” by New Year’s, Alexey Voronkov, chairman of the Russian Association of Theater Owners, told the Russian news outlet NSN.

“We believe theaters will completely stop offering ‘pre-show services’ within the next two or three months,” Voronkov said.

However, government regulations allowing such unlicensed screenings remain in effect until March 1, 2028.

Voronkov also addressed rumors that screenings in Russia of the American blockbusters Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three — scheduled to open worldwide on December 16 and 17 — could be delayed to make way for the premiere of the Russian film Fredonia: The Movie. Russian audiences may indeed see the new Avengers and Dune installments long after their global premieres, he said, but not because of Fredonia: The Movie.

“At the moment, Avengers and Dune are not scheduled for release in Russia this December, next January, or in March 2027, regardless of when Russian films are scheduled for release. No distributor has officially announced either film, so it would be incorrect to say their releases have been postponed. […] Even if negotiations with Hollywood studios are successful, the films could be released in Russia no earlier than April 1, 2027,” Voronkov told the news outlet Podyom.

In July, distributors asked Russian movie theaters to postpone screenings of Spider-Man: Brand New Day in favor of the Russian film The Last Warrior: Kolobok. After the Spider-Man screenings were postponed, viewers began criticizing Kolobok’s creators. The filmmakers reportedly received threats. Russia’s Investigative Committee launched a criminal investigation into the threats.

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