Entertainment

Bootleg Spider-Man screenings draw crowds in Russia despite studio exit

Cinemas across Russia are using third-party distributors and workaround ticket sales to screen Hollywood films without official permits.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 10:20 UTC1 reports

The short version

Russian cinemas are using illicit digital copies and masking ticket sales under short-film prescreenings to show 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' despite Sony Pictures withdrawing from the country.
A Russian trade publication reported that cinemas generated a record summer weekend box office of 1.17 billion rubles ($13.9 million) following the movie's delayed release.
The trend continues despite warnings from a lawmaker that the practice constitutes illegal business activity.

Russian theater owners obtain illicit digital cinema packages via third-party distributors to show unauthorized Hollywood releases like 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'.[NBC News]
To bypass legal restrictions, theaters issue receipts for domestic short films while showing unauthorized foreign features under prescreening arrangements.[NBC News]
Copies shown in Russia had an 18-second clip of a song by Monetochka—a Russian singer declared a foreign agent after opposing the war in Ukraine—removed from the soundtrack.[NBC News]
The Russian Film Distributor's Bulletin reported box office receipts of 1.17 billion rubles ($13.9 million) during the release weekend, setting a record for summer weekend revenue in Russia.[NBC News]
Elena Drapeko, deputy chair of the culture committee in Russia's parliament, urged law enforcement to crack down on the unauthorized screenings.[NBC News]

It remains unclear whether Russian law enforcement or the Ministry of Culture will act against theater owners following parliamentary calls for prosecution.[NBC News]