Hollywood is shying away from portraying Russian President Vladimir Putin in upcoming movies, apparently for fear of retribution. The Hollywood Reporter revealed Wednesday that Putin portrayals were cut from Fox's Red Sparrow and EuropaCorp's Kursk, even though Putin appeared in both of the books on which the respective movies are based.
Fox cited "creative choices" for cutting Putin — who played a "key role" in the book — out of Red Sparrow, which is set in the present day and centers around a Russian spy played by Jennifer Lawrence. The Hollywood Reporter noted that "by avoiding Putin, Fox is also steering clear of any Russian hackers who might protest."
"For a studio to release a movie about Putin that makes him look like a fool would be suicide," said Ajay Arora, CEO of Vera, a security firm that works with studios. "That's a certain way to be targeted [for retaliation]."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Read more at The Hollywood Reporter.
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
