Belgian movie theaters are screening Spider-Man in Ukrainian

This Sunday, Kinepolis will screen the blockbuster“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” in a Ukrainian-dubbed versionat several of its Belgian theaters. This initiative follows a request from Belgium’s Ukrainian community, which has grown since the Russian invasion of 2022.

“About three years after the start of the war with Russia, the Ukrainian community asked us if we could screen Ukrainian films,” Stijn Vanspauwen of Kinepolis Belgium explained to the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad. Over the past two years, the cinema chain has already screened about ten animated films in Ukrainian, such as “Zootopia,” “Minions & Monsters ,” and “Lilo & Stitch.” The latest “Toy Story” is still playing in a Ukrainian-language version.

With the dubbed version of “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” Kinepolis is now testing whether a blockbuster aimed at adults in Ukrainian can be profitable. Screenings—without subtitles—are scheduled in other Belgian cities including Ghent, Brussels, and Antwerp, on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m.“We’ve noticed that people want to keep their language alive in this way,” explains Mr. Vanspauwen.

The Ukrainian version has already sold about 50 tickets, which Kinepolis considers a promising start. If the test is successful, the chain plans to systematically expand its selection of dubbed films. The Ukrainian community in Belgium consists of thousands of people receiving temporary protection in various cities. Kinepolis emphasizes that this initiative is part of a broader effort to meet the needs of diverse communities.