Sony televisions are on display for sale in the Dundrum branch of Brown Thomas ahead of it's grand opening, in Dublin Ireland, February 23, 2022. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

March 11 (Reuters) - Sony Pictures Entertainment said Friday that it has paused business operations in Russia, two weeks after the studio suspended theatrical releases in the country.

In a message to staff, Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman Tony Vinciquerra wrote that the studio would halt planned home entertainment releases, including "Spider-Man: No Way Home," and any future television distribution deals. Crunchyroll also suspended its anime streaming service in Russia.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with those who have been impacted and it is our hope that a peaceful resolution can be found soon," Vinciquerra wrote.

The film studio's decision to suspend operations, amid growing concerns about the violence in Ukraine, follows similar steps earlier this week by Sony Music and Sony Interactive Entertainment, which halted software and hardware shipments.

Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; editing by Jonathan Oatis

Source: Reuters

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