In Russia
🎬 Shadow Distribution in Russia Shrinks by One-Third
Box office revenues from Hollywood blockbusters shown in Russian cinemas without official rights (the so‑called “pre‑show service”) have collapsed.
According to Cinemaplex, last year the box office for such projects fell 35% to 2.8 billion rubles.
Attendance at these “shadow” screenings dropped 40%, from 10.5 million to 6.3 million viewers.
On paper, the leaders of the box office were shorts like Edge of Inspiration and Three Good Deeds — but it was under these titles that cinemas actually showed Minecraft: The Movie, Zootopia 2, and Captain America.
Shadow screenings now account for just 5.6% of total cinema box office (versus 6.4% a year earlier).
Experts note that 2025 simply did not produce a mega‑hit on the level of Inside Out 2; titles like Lilo & Stitch failed to find a substantial audience in Russia.
Pirated copies — including basic “cam‑rips” — now appear on video platforms almost instantly.
The average ticket price in Russian cinemas rose to 427 rubles, and with higher costs, viewers are increasingly opting to watch movies at home.
Overall, the Russian theatrical box office grew to 50.7 billion rubles (+9.3%), but solely due to higher ticket prices, as the total number of tickets sold continued to decline.
