Group Re-Releasing Film With Animal-Friendly Ending: Freedom for Punxsutawney Phil
For Immediate Release:
April 1, 2011
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
Josephine "Jo" Kerr
Norfolk, Va. — Iiiiiiiiit's Groundhog Day for PETA! The animal rights group is pleased to announce today that, after two years of negotiation, a special grant from a longtime celebrity supporter has allowed PETA to purchase the rights to the 1993 comedy. The group plans to reshoot the film with a new ending: Phil Connors (Bill Murray) will discover that one way to keep from hopelessly repeating February 2—and to win over Rita (Andie MacDowell)—is to rescue Punxsutawney Phil and whisk him away to an animal sanctuary in the rolling Pennsylvania hills.
"Groundhog Day is a comedy classic, but at the story's end, Punxsutawney Phil is left to continue to be forced into the spotlight year after year," says PETA's Josephine Kerr. "In our version, everyone escapes having to relive Groundhog Day over and over again—and that's a true happy ending."
In real life, Punxsutawney Phil is confined year-round to the basement of a library, and each year on February 2, he is kept from his natural hibernation period and exposed to human handling, hundreds of noisy people, flashing lights, and cameras. PETA hopes that its film will encourage Punxsutawney Phil's keepers to retire him to a sanctuary where he can live out the rest of his days in peace.
PETA's film is scheduled for release by February 2012. For more information, please visit PETA.org or click here.