Wild Animals Don't Want to Be Actors, Says Group
For Immediate Release:
December 12, 2011
Contact:
Kristin Richards 202-483-7382
New York -- Dressed as a lion, a tiger, a monkey, and a bear and holding signs that read, "I Don't Want to Be in Your Damn Movie," PETA members will gather outside the Ziegfeld Theatre as celebrities arrive for the premiere of Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo. Although PETA wrote to Crowe and 20th Century Fox multiple times prior to production to explain that wild animals used in the entertainment industry suffer greatly at the hands of Hollywood trainers, Crowe ignored the appeals and used live animals instead of lifelike computer-generated imagery (CGI) or animatronics. PETA is now calling on audiences to skip Crowe's film in favor of more animal-friendly family entertainment this holiday season.
When: Monday, December 12, 6:30pm
Where: The Ziegfeld Theatre, 141 W. 54th St. (between Sixth and Seventh avenues), New York
"It's deeply ironic that a film about saving animals relied on an industry that routinely neglects and even abuses animals," says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. "In an age when stunning CGI has made films such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes possible, there's simply no excuse for exploiting live animals for the sake of a movie."
Animals used in the entertainment industry are denied everything that is natural and important to them, such as adequate space, appropriate companionship, and proper exercise. And abusive training methods are common—trainers often resort to beatings, shock devices, whips, and food deprivation to keep wild animals under control.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.