How did that happen amid the Hollywood ban? – Delivery time

Exclusive: After Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in late February 2022, Hollywood has sworn off a thriving and lucrative box office territory, with the first studios Disney and Warner Bros. pulling their big blockbusters in succession from the country, turns red And Batman.

However, this past weekend, Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 4 Across the Iron Curtain, an overseas territory that has historically been rich franchised Keanu Reeves in what represents the largest Hollywood prop pillar playing in theaters there since the unofficial boycott of the market began. The pic made a record-breaking debut of $4.3 million, up 33% John Wick: Chapter 3 – ParabellumStarting in Russia based on today’s exchange rates. Worldwide, off 71 offshore areas, John Wick: Chapter 4 Recorded a franchise-record opening of $137.5 million, with $73.8 million domestic. In the wake of Hollywood’s largely refusal to do business in Russia, pirated copies of films have flooded cinemas, with some first-run films making their way into the country.

How did he? John Wick: Chapter 4Russia release come to be?

“We had contracts back,” Joe Drake, president of Lionsgate Motion Picture, told Deadline. “He had to fulfill obligations.”

Lionsgate distributes its films itself only overseas in the UK and Latin America, selling foreign rights to raise capital on its theatrical listings, and a fourth Wick film costing an estimated $100 million before P&A spending. Lionsgate Russian pre-sale John Wick: Chapter 4 It preceded the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

As part of fulfilling these obligations, we have conducted extensive research for non-sanctioned parties [involved]Drake added.

Unauthorized distributor release John Wick: Chapter 4 In Russia it was Unicorn Media Limited, a non-sanctioned Maltese company with which Lionsgate had a previous business relationship. Unicorn oversaw the marketing of Chad Stahelski’s action sequel in the territory as well.

Drake told Deadline that the studio worked with the US State Department regarding the release of the pic in Russia. Government entities in the US and UK maintain lists of sanctioned companies that US forces cannot handle.

“There were a number of steps we needed to take, and we felt comfortable pitching the film and consulting on talent,” Drake said.

We hear that Lionsgate has a general studio policy under which it pauses new business with Russia, but honors pre-existing contracts with non-sanctioned parties in the country.

Before that John Wick: Chapter 4Lionsgate had one previous release in Russia, the Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy gun wedding which went straight to streaming on Prime Video. Released by Global Film in Russia, this film opened at $310.5 thousand and finished at $1.1 million. Per Box Office Mojo. We are told that Global Film is also an unauthorized distributor.

While Lionsgate had a Gerard Butler movie airplane And a working title directed by the man Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre On the American side, the Russian versions of those pictures were not pre-sold by the studio. airplane Released by Central Partnership in Russia, while production by AZ Celtic Films / Miramax / STX Films / Tencent Pictures Operation Fortune It was handled by Global Film.

The studio declined to comment on whether the upcoming supporting column is in the fall The Hunger Games: The Song of Songbirds and Snakes Will get a Russian version. However, the deadline is to understand that, unlike John Wick There is no prior agreement to distribute hunger Games Prequel in Russia.

As an example of what is happening in Russia, we were also told that there was encouragement to see pirated copies of films in cinemas, and even to wait for higher quality non-sanctioned copies. In the December 19th article published on Izvestiait was announced Avatar: Water Road It will hit theaters December 22, though Disney has yet to release the movie there. A translated version of the article reads: “We were promised that the film would be professionally dubbed in 4K quality. The only problem is that it will be 2D, without glasses and immersion. We have found only one cinema that promises full 3D, but not everyone will be able to enjoy this spectacle – the screenings will be in Krasnoyarsk “. The report also noted that in Yakutsk, “Cinema-Center guarantees high-quality reproductions, but, unfortunately, only in 2D.”

The same article warned, “This film does not and cannot have a certificate of distribution: copyright owner Disney does not operate in Russia.” Then he suggested, “Most likely, high-quality copies will arrive by January 12th, and it will be easier with 3D.”

Interestingly, the box office has been healthy in Russia despite the lack of major studio films. OpusData numbers compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence showed that the January box office was the largest in Europe (note: Russia is sometimes considered an Asia-Pacific market). According to those numbers, January was $99 million, up 390.6% from the same period in 2022. Homegrown children’s comedies were at the forefront of these charges. Cheburashka at $84.4 million that month. The second biggest grossing was directed by Guy Ritchie Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre With $7.2 million (now an estimated $9.7 million).

Overall, according to Gower Street Analytics, the Russian box office for 2023 through March 18 was 12.6 billion rubles ($163 million), up 14.5% over the same period in 2022, and 11.3% behind the 2017-pre-pandemic average. 2019.