Spider-Man: Brand New Day is screening cinemas across Russia, web-slinging its way through all the obstacles, including Russia’s ban on screening of Hollywood movies and Sony Pictures ban on all theatrical releases in Russia due to the country’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
According to NBC News, hundreds of fans flocked to cinemas wearing the iconic costume of the web slinger to watch the movies but how did the film make its way to the big screens despite so many blocks.
Screening of movies without a distribution violates both Russian and international law; however, authorities usually turn a blind eye toward such kinds of unlawful acts.
The answer lies in a practice that has become increasingly common in Russia since Hollywood studios pulled their movies from the country following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Rather than arriving through Sony Pictures’ official distribution network, Hollywood films can reach Russian cinemas through unofficial or so-called parallel distribution channels.
Independent distributors can acquire a copy of a movie outside the normal studio system and then arrange screenings through individual cinemas. These screenings are not authorised by the Hollywood studio, meaning Sony does not officially distribute Spider-Man: Brand New Day in Russia.
The practice has allowed Russian audiences to continue watching major Hollywood releases despite the studios’ decision to leave the market.
Russia has not completely banned its cinemas from showing every foreign movie. Instead, the country’s complicated copyright and distribution rules have created room for cinemas and distributors to find ways around the absence of official Hollywood releases.
The same loophole has previously been used for other major Hollywood productions, with Russian cinemas screening films without the involvement of the studios that originally produced them.
2026-09-01 00:24:00
