Negative reviews aren’t the only troubles that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has been dealing with this week. On Tuesday, the red carpet part of the London premiere was cancelled following the terrorist attacks in Brussels, Belgium. Now Warner Bros. has decided to cancel several premieres around Russia due to piracy issues.
Six major Russian cities, including Yekaterinburg and Kazan, have had their Thursday night premieres yanked from their respective theater schedules to recent piracy issues in the country. The earliest folks in those areas will be able to catch Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is Friday at noon. The movie will still open in cities like Moscow on Thursday, and The Hollywood Reporter notes that the decision to delay its release in those other areas implies there was evidence of piracy from around there.
Although Friday releases typically air on midnight at the earliest, the past several years have seen major features premiere on Thursday evening in many areas, giving fans the opportunity to see these highly anticipated movies earlier and at a more reasonable time. So for the hardcore fans and curious moviegoers who were eager to see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice this evening in those Russian cities, this is surely a disappointment. If there really is some active piracy at work there, Warner Bros clearly wants to play it safe and take those screenings away rather than risk one of their biggest movies leaking earlier than it’s supposed to, though there are other ares of the world that might get away with it.
Piracy has been a problem for major blockbusters for over a decade, and superhero movies have especially dealt with fallout from it. For instance, many will remember back in 2009 when a rough copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine leaked online weeks before the theatrical release. Nowadays, the shoddily-recorded versions of the latest Marvel and DC entries are available for watching in the seedy corners of the Interwebs almost immediately afterwards. Studios try their best to curtail these leaks, but aren't always successful.
However, even without piracy, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is building quite a reputation for the public over the last couple days thanks to reviews and fan screenings. Although early buzz had a lot of lucky fans reacting positively, the movie has since been slammed by the majority of critics. Whether that will have a major effect on its box office draw remains to be seen, but realistically, some people may not be as keen to see it this weekend anymore. That said, if you don’t plan on paying to see the movie in theaters, don’t pirate it. Just wait for the home release (be it regular or the "Ultimate Edition") or watch it when it hits cable.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice officially hits theaters tomorrow, but for many folks in the U.S., make sure to check your local screenings to find out if you can catch it this evening.
