⛔️ Russian Audiences to Miss Out on Dune 3 and New Avengers
Russian film distributors are preparing to abandon the practice of "pre-show service," the key loophole previously used by cinemas to screen foreign blockbusters.
According to forecasts from the Association of Theater Owners (AVK), this shadow distribution mechanism will be completely phased out within the next two to three months.
As a result, highly anticipated global releases—such as Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday—will not hit Russian screens in December 2026 or early 2027. Aleksei Voronkov, head of the AVK, clarified that since no domestic distributor has officially slated these titles, any discussions about shifting release dates to avoid competing with Russian New Year holiday films (including Winter in Prostokvashino) are completely irrelevant.
Even under a hypothetical scenario where negotiations with Hollywood studios to return to the market succeed, these films would not appear in Russian theaters before April 1, 2027. Although the regulatory framework that technically permits gray-market distribution was approved by the government and remains valid until March 1, 2028, the underlying economics and operational risks now make the format impractical to maintain.
Source: NSN
