The Russia-Ukraine War hit the headlines and people all over the world were divided in their opinions about Russia’s invasion of its neighboring country. Though everyone gave their views about the ongoing war, scarcely anyone bothered to know what celebrities and popular culture thought about it. You might think why would anyone need any comment from a Hollywood star at a moment when Kyiv is being bombed, right? Well, you may not be entirely wrong. However, as the entire world focused on the events concerning the tussle, a number of celebrities, film studios, musicians, and streamers too voiced their opinions and showed their support in their own ways. Here is how Hollywood responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Movie Studios Chose to Halt their Releases in Russia
Major movie studios and platforms came together to speak out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Disney was the first studio to pull its movies off the Russian market. According to a spokesperson of the Walt Disney Co., the invasion of Ukraine had been unprovoked and completely uncalled for and therefore, considering the tragedy and humanitarian crisis, the company decided to stop its films from releasing in Russia. Disney actually set an example as several studios followed suit.
WarnerMedia confirmed that it wouldn’t release its film, The Batman in the country. Universal and Sony Pictures too halted their latest and upcoming releases that were set to release in Russia. Netflix signed a contract to air more than 19 federal TV stations in Russia. It decided not to broadcast the channels considering the Russian attack on Ukraine. On the other hand, Foxtel stopped the transmission of the Russia Today channel. SBS too stalled the broadcast of Russia Today and NTV Moscow.
Musicians Canceled Upcoming Shows
The music industry came forward and showed solidarity towards Ukraine and its people. As a result, a number of high-profile musicians as well as music bands canceled their shows. While Killers, Iggy Pop, and Green Day announced their decision to pull out, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as well as Franz Ferdinand informed the press about their decision not to continue with their scheduled shows in Russia. They informed their fans about this on their social media accounts.
Eurovision Announced Its Decision to Ban Russia
The Eurovision Song Contest banned Russia from participating. The decision was made public on February 25. Russia was a winner in the contest back in 2008 and was regarded as one of the most consistent performers. As a matter of fact, it finished in the top five, five times in a span of 10 years. The EBU said that keeping the Ukraine crisis in mind, allowing Russia to participate in the contest would harm its reputation.
Many Famous Faces Spoke Against the Invasion
When popular figures have tried to help in times of crisis, they have often been misunderstood or their efforts overlooked. Some famous figures from the film industry came forward to let the world know about their stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds joined hands with the NPO, USA for UNHCR and offered their presence on the ground in the war-stricken country. The couple announced on Instagram that they would donate up to $1,000,000.
Sean Penn was filming a documentary in Ukraine and implemented his star appeal to bring to light the events going on in the country. He also met Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine. The Oscar winner garnered appreciation for his work. Bethenny Frenkel, the reality star and businesswoman raised millions of dollars through BStrong, her disaster relief charity in order to help the refugees travel from Ukraine. The fund helped in putting up stations to provide food, water, and hygiene products along Ukraine’s border with Poland.
Though many celebs garnered acclamation for their work, there were a few celebs who were, in fact, highly criticized for making cringe-worthy posts regarding Russia’s invasion on their social media accounts. AnnaLynne McCord, the American actress, recited a poem – Dear Mister Vladimir Putin, that drew huge criticisms from her fans and followers. There isn’t an iota of doubt that Russia faced a lot of backlash for its actions, especially due to the fact that lots of innocent Ukrainian people suffered. Many were rendered homeless and were starving. At a moment like this, the help coming from Hollywood really meant a lot.
