A song by exiled Russian pop singer Monetochka has been removed from theatrical screenings of the new Hollywood blockbuster “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” in Russia, the news outlet Ostorozhno Novosti reported Thursday, following a similar move by distributors in Ukraine
Like most major Western releases, the film is not receiving an official distribution in Russia after Sony Pictures suspended operations in the country amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
However, Russian theaters are showing unofficial copies of the film, where Monetochka’s song “Monopoly” was removed and replaced with an instrumental track during a scene set in New York’s Russian-speaking Brighton Beach neighborhood.
Monetochka’s name was also deleted from the music credits during the film’s ending sequence, according to Ostorozhno Novosti.
The removal of the exiled singer’s song from the Russian version of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” comes after distributors in Ukraine also cut the track from the film’s Ukrainian release following complaints from moviegoers.
Monetochka, whom the Russian authorities designated a “foreign agent,” fled Russia shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In 2025, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize after launching a charitable project to support Ukrainian refugees.
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