Warner Bros. pulls 'The Batman' release in Russia following Ukraine invasion

• Warner Bros., Disney, and Sony have paused all theatrical releases in Russia.
• "The Batman" starring Robert Pattinson will not debut in Russia.

Warners said Monday that it was "pausing" the release of theatrical films in Russia, including the upcoming "Batman" film starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz, following the invasion of Ukraine.

"In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film 'The Batman' in Russia," a statement from the studio said. "We will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves. We hope for a swift and peaceful resolution to this tragedy."

The film was scheduled to arrive in Russian cinemas on Thursday.

Disney was the first film to publicly address Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a statement Monday. The company also said it would pause theatrical releases in Russia and cited the "unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis."

"We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation," Disney said in a statement sent to Insider. "In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance."

Sony Pictures, too, announced that it would also pause all its theatrical releases in Russia, including the Jared Leto-led superhero flick "Morbius," which was set to open in Russian theaters on 24 March.

"Given the ongoing military action in Ukraine and the resulting uncertainty and humanitarian crisis unfolding in that region, we will be pausing our planned theatrical releases in Russia, including the upcoming release of 'Morbius,'" a Sony Pictures spokesperson said Monday in a statement obtained by Deadline.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who have been impacted and hope this crisis will be resolved quickly."

It is unclear how long these three studios will be pausing the release of their films in Russia. Warner Bros had been set to release "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," the third film in the wizarding world spin-off, in Russia on 14 April. Disney — which owns the comic book studio Marvel — had also set the highly anticipated sequel "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" for release on May 5.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine last week and launched a large-scale, unprovoked invasion. The Russian military entered Ukraine from several directions, with troops headed toward the country's capital, Kyiv, and attacked with airstrikes and shelling.

Ukrainian authorities have said dozens of troops on both sides and some Ukrainian civilians have been killed amid the fighting.