Plan B Cinema has announced the relaunch of its thematic television channel, Suspense. As part of a scheduled update and modernization of its media asset portfolio, the broadcaster is undergoing a full rebranding: the channel is changing its name to 9-1-1 and completely refreshing its visual identity.
The Russian theatrical market concluded the first half of 2026 with a cumulative box office turnover of 35.2 billion rubles. According to industry statistics, the lion’s share of revenue was driven by official releases, which accounted for 31.1 billion rubles.
Analytics firm F6 has identified the films and television series with the highest volume of unauthorized copies circulating across the Russian internet (Runet)—specifically via torrent trackers and illicit streaming platforms—in June 2026.
The Internet Development Institute (ANO “IRI”) has finalized the results of its national content competition, identifying the winning projects slated to receive state financial support in the coming years.
According to the first-half 2026 data from the Unified Federal Automated Information System (EAIS) operated by the Cinema Fund, the cumulative box office of Russian movie theaters surged 26.6% year-over-year to reach 35.2 billion rubles (up from 27.8 billion rubles in 2025).
A complex legal battle is unfolding around the recently announced live-action/animated feature film Leopold. U.S.-based firm Rubstein Properties has issued a formal pre-litigation cease-and-desist notice to Dmitry Litvinov, owner and CEO of the Welcome Media production company.
Russia is preparing a regulatory overhaul of its theatrical distribution sector, designed to establish a new funding pipeline for national cinema. The country plans to introduce mandatory financial levies on the distribution and screening of foreign films.
The highly popular mobile format of micro-dramas is expanding beyond smartphones to Russian television screens for the first time. Short-form vertical series, adapted for full-scale television broadcasting, will join the programming grid of the CHE! TV network (part of National Media Group).
Amid a fierce competitive battle for the runner-up spot in the online cinema market, Wink CEO Anton Volodkin disclosed key shifts in the platform’s business model, announced a comprehensive programming overhaul, and criticized current analytical methodology.
Russia may introduce a mandatory screening quota for domestic films in movie theaters. The State Duma and the Russian Government will jointly develop this and other support mechanisms for the domestic film industry, according to Olga Kazakova, Chair of the Duma Committee on Culture.
