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Disney+ Removes Classic Cartoon ‘Anastasia’ But Not For The Reason You Think

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Kay Smythe News and Commentary Writer
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The Disney+ streaming platform removed the classic 1997 Russia-based cartoon “Anastasia” in March.

Twitter and Instagram users have been sharing a screenshot from the account @MoreDisneyPlus assuming that the film was removed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (RELATED: Russia Drafts Plans For Public Executions In Captured Cities: REPORT)

 

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“Anastasia” is not Disney film. It was made by 20th Century Studios, and was only added to the Disney+ streaming platform in December 2020, after having previously been available on HBO Max, according to the blog What’s On Disney Plus. “With the start of a brand new month, Disney is often forced to remove some content from Disney+ in the United States due to pre-existing contracts made before Disney+ was created,” reported the Disney blog.

The children’s classic is moving to Starz as of March 18, according to reports by Vulture. The outlet went on to note that only a few Russian titles remain on the Disney+ platform.

The Disney blog commented that, unlike other streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu, Disney+ does not inform subscribers before content is removed. The writers further enforced that the removal of “Anastasia” has “nothing to do with the current crisis involving Ukraine and Russia.”