Avatar: The Way of Water is one of the most highly anticipated movie releases of the year. It premiered to much adoration from critics and fans alike on December 16. But, this wasn't the case in the Russian Federation, where life moves at a different speed when compared to the rest of the world.
Because of the multiple sanctions imposed on Russia over its occupation of Ukraine, 20th Century Studios will not release James Cameron's visual masterpiece on the Russian market. But that won't and hasn't stopped Russian cinemagoers from enjoying all of the latest blockbusters, thanks to Russia's booming black market.
With moviemakers and film studios halting operations in Russia, distribution channels that supply cinemas with footage have been all but killed off. This has forced Russia to utilize pirated copies of films without official distribution certificates. According to a recent report from Russian news outlet Izvestia, the screening of pirated versions of Avatar: The Way Of Water is a question of when not if. The outlet cited the example of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which premiered on the same day in Russia as in countries across the world. But these projections are not your average day-one camcorder footage, with low-quality audio and altered visuals. Instead, the black market has blossomed, with Russian cinemas willing to pay upwards of $15,000 for pristine perfect versions that abide by Russian censorship rules.