Netflix was one of the many Western companies to pause its business in Russia in the wake of the country’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine almost a month ago now. The streamer stopped production on the original Russian-language series that was in any stage of production in the country. It then suspended its entire service in Russia.
Some of the foreign companies’ actions in response to Russia’s invasion, we should add, are a bit linked. Visa and Mastercard’s suspension of its operations in Russia, for example? That would have meant, among other things, you couldn’t use one of their cards to pay for a Netflix subscription. Meanwhile, we’ve got a closer look below at the projects Netflix has now paused in Russia because of all this.
What number of Russian Netflix subscribers do you have?
Netflix was a newcomer to Russia, but it had a small presence there before the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent suspension. The streaming giant, a newcomer to Russia, only had a little less than 1 million subscribers in the country — a fraction of its reportedWorldwide, there are 222 million subscribers.
Netflix’s announcement that it would temporarily (presumably) stop doing business in the country was just one more indication of how seriously the rest of the world is taking Russia’s invasion of its much smaller neighbor. Russia is now isolated from the outside. Each Western brand has left. The country can’t tap into the global financial system. Its citizens can’t travel, use Instagram, Netflix, and the like.
Russia halts Netflix’s new series
Speaking of the streaming giant, here’s a look at the new Netflix series that had been announced in the country that are now paused because of the country’s actions in Ukraine.
Start with ANNA K:
According to Netflix, this one was to have been. “a lavish and contemporary retelling” of Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel Anna Karenina. Svetlana Khaodchenkova (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy() will play the title role of Anna. The story was filmed in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It follows Anna Karenina, a socialite and the wife of the soon to be governor of St. Petersburg, who has an affair with Vronsky. “the dashing heir of an aluminum empire.”
Continued Netflix: “Their affair quickly careens out of control, threatening the delicate balance of their familial bonds and social relationships. Set between cosmopolitan Moscow, historic St. Petersburg and Russia’s rugged countryside, the drama explores themes of passion, loyalty and the irrefutable truth that no amount of riches can save us from love’s ability to either free us or bring us to our doom.”
Another Netflix Russian series that has been canceled
Netflix called this one a drama about Lyokha, a young actor. He’s a volunteer who works at a charity in support of people with disabilities. “Getting closer to the group he is assigned,”The streamer summary, “the hero finds a common language with them and discovers answers to his questions, helping people close to him to look at life from another perspective.”
Said director Ilya Malanin, “I am very pleased that it is this story that established my directorial debut. It is full of emotion, acceptance, and love. Each character is knitted with contradictions both in thoughts and actions. And there is nothing special about it.”
- Untitled psychological drama
This series was announced in the late 2021 and focused on a celebrity who is at the heart of tragic events that threaten his character. Moreover, it’s about his struggle to become himself again.
A Russian series added
Netflix described the Russian series as a neonoir detective drama. Kristina, a journalist and Dashkin, a police officer are the main characters. They led an investigation into a disappearance of a child in a remote town in the 1990s.
Said head writer Misha Shprits, as part of Netflix’s press material, “ZATOIt was born from a conversation I had with my co-author Ilya Shiin a few years back. How can a child disappear in a town with restricted access? We were intrigued by the mystery and decided to solve it for the fun of solving it. And then we remembered the ‘90s, and how those years changed all of us in this country and continue to factor in to this day.
“Without us realizing it, ZATO became not just a mystery but also the story about those of us who had the hardest of times adjusting to the new and harsh realities. It’s about people desperately struggling to remain who they are in a world where no one believes in anything anymore”.
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