Anastasia, the 1997 Disney classic, has been temporarily pulled from Disney+, but not due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which some have speculated since the film is set in Russia. Though sometimes less remembered than many films in the Disney animated canon, Anastasia grossed $140 million at the box office when it was released and received two Academy Award nominations for its music. The film also paved the way for a Broadway musical adaptation that ran for over 800 performances from 2017 to 2019.
Anastasia retells the legend of Grand Duchess Anastasia, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas II, the last sovereign of Imperial Russia, who was rumored to survive her family's massacre in 1918. The film itself follows Anya, an 18-year-old amnesiac who gets taken advantage of due to her similarity to the princess. Anastasia was animated using a combination of hand-drawn and digital animation techniques, as was the style of the time.
According to the blog whatsondisneyplus.com, the film was removed this month due to a contract dispute and not on account of Disney protesting Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with the blog directly saying "This removal from Disney+ has nothing to do with the current crisis involving Ukraine and Russia." The film is now available on Starz in the U.S. and is still on Disney+ in other countries. The blog speculates that the film will become available on the streaming service in the U.S. again once Disney+ completes its currently ongoing contract negotiations with Starz.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has received global condemnation and has seen the confirmed deaths of more than 2,000 civilians at the time of this writing, with the actual number likely much higher. The film industry has responded by halting the release of films in Russia, including The Batman and Disney's own Turning Red. Disney has also been providing aid and humanitarian assistance to those affected by the ongoing crisis.
With Russia's unprovoked attack filling the globe with dread, it's hard to think about how the entertainment industry can respond since film and television are built on escaping from the troubles of the world. Though it's hard to know where the world will be in the coming weeks, it's important to remember that the joys and passion behind artistic expression can bring light to the darkest situations and that animation in particular can wonderfully capture that joy. With that being said, however, as fondly remembered as Anastasia is for some, the crisis in Ukraine is far bigger and far more important than any one film.
Source: whatsondisneyplus.com