An ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine dating back to the collapse of the Soviet Union has become a full-out war with global — and commercial — reverberations. Russia’s booming film and TV industry, with its deep, government-backed coffers, lost its grip on the world stage virtually overnight amid growing fallout from Vladimir Putin’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Disney, Warner Bros., Sony and Paramount all paused distribution of new movies in Russia, and “SNL” opened last weekend’s show with a Ukrainian chorus in solidarity with the country under attack. Cannes barred the Russian delegation from attending its May festival.
For Ukraine’s creative community, the situation is a matter of life-or-death. Though the Russian attack has met with fierce Ukrainian resistance, millions have been forced into makeshift shelters to escape bombings. The United…
