Netflix reportedly pauses Russian productions amid Ukraine invasion
The move follows the company's decision not to carry state TV channels.
The backlash to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to build. According to Variety, Netflix has “paused” all future projects it had planned to undertake within the country. The company had four original productions underway in Russia, including one directed by Dasha Zhuk that was in shooting before the decision. According to Deadline, Netflix has one untitled series that will be completed. The fate of the two other projects is less clear. In particular, the company reportedly hasn't made a decision about what to do with Anna K, its high-profile adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.
The move comes after Netflix said it would not comply with Russia’s Vitrina TV law. The measure requires that audiovisual companies with more than 100,000 subscribers carry 20 free state channels, including NTV and Spa. In December, the country’s Roskomnadzor telecom regulator said Netflix would have to comply with the law, but Russia had yet to enforce it before the company made its decision at the start of the week. At the time, Netflix said it had “no plans” to offer the required programming due to the “current situation.”
Like that move, the decision to halt a handful of productions may be more of a symbolic gesture than a major sacrifice on Netflix’s part. The company only began offering a localized version of its platform in Russia about a year ago, and it reportedly has fewer than 1 million subscribers in the country. It also doesn't have an office in the country, nor any employees.
We've reached out to Netflix for comment.
