Canada's IMAX Corporation, which left the Russian market in early June over Moscow’s ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, says it has now banned the use of its equipment in Russia.
Aleksei Vasyasin, director-general of Russia's united Cinema Park and Cinema Formula network, told the RBK media group on August 23 that theaters across the country have been banned from using IMAX technology and equipment without the company’s permission.
He added that Russian cinema networks are eligible to sue IMAX over the move if it fails to return to the Russian market by the end of the year.
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio and steep stadium seating to increase the visual impact for the viewer.
Vasyasin said that the situation in Russia's cinema industry is currently worse than it was during the coronavirus pandemic because of the removal of Hollywood blockbusters from the Russian market and uncertainty over whether cinemas will get licenses to show Western-produced movies.
In March, shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February, Disney, Warner Brothers, Sony, and Universal Pictures suspended the presentation of their films in Russia to protest against the move. Some of them later left the Russian market completely.
Industry analysts note that the banning of just two movies -- Batman and Morbius -- caused about 5 billion rubles ($83.6 million) in losses for cinemas in Russia. Since March, nearly 200 cinemas have closed in Russia and almost one-third of commercial cinema complexes have suspended operations.
The association of cinema owners have asked President Vladimir Putin for assistance as Chinese, Korean and Soviet-era movies had compensated for only about five percent of what they earned by showing major Hollywood films.