As you probably know, while most of the sets might be computer generated, Speed Racer’s pet chimpanzee Chim-Chim is being played by an actual real monkey in the Wachowski Brothers big screen adaptation. There are now allegations that the chimp was beaten after biting one of the human actors. PETA is pissed:
“We are in receipt of information that may upset you,” PETA wrote to producer Joel Silver. “We’ve received several troubling complaints from people who have been on the ‘Speed Racer’ set and report that the main chimpanzee ‘actor’ has been beaten and has bitten one of the human actors.”
“We appreciate the concerns of your organization,” came back the letter from movie company Warner Bros. “We also respect the vision and choices of the filmmakers with which we work. Every option on a film is carefully weighed, and for this production, the decision was made to use live animals.”
However, a spokesperson for the film told msnbc that “a chimp did chomp on a young actor, but said that the actor was treated and the animal was given a rest.” The spokesperson aksi sent along assurances from the American Humane Society that no animals were being abused. The movie studio would never lie, right? PETA has suggested that Silver stop using the live animal and switch to animatronics. An animatronic Chim-Chim? They can’t be serious, can they?
July 2nd, 2007 at 12:43 pm
PETA is a joke. Always has been, always will be.
July 2nd, 2007 at 12:58 pm
That’s stupid.
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Nick, care to explain your reasoning? Your quick-post-and-run didn’t bother to offer any.
July 2nd, 2007 at 1:53 pm
My friend works for AHS on sets and there is no way a studio can “lie” about such actions. AHS is ADAMANT about studios following the guidelines TO THE LETTER. I’ve seen her work and she and her colleagues are sticklers for these animals. Those people love animals more than I believe PETA does.
As for PETA, they are probably working on 3rd and 4th -hand information. If they really wanted something done, they should have contacted the AHS directly, the authority on such matters. But PETA usually issue knee-jerk reactions to minor situations, so they went straight to the studio, probably to get some press.
July 6th, 2007 at 7:19 am
I totally agree to PETA. How they can treat animal that way? It is sooo terrible. Basically, every animal is so smart. Also Chimp is one of the smartest animal. But they are smart for themselves, not for human being’s entertainment.
May 4th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
There were two chimps on the set of Speed Racer. Christina was not bitten. The chimp grabbed her breast and pulled on it. I am a good personal friend of the owner of one of the chimps in Speed Racer. I have been around chimps for a dozen years and believe me, at the cost of $50,000 and UP for a baby chimp, owners are NOT going to abuse them! Our friend’s chimps and monkeys live in an amazing complex which rivals most zoos. They are cared for, loved, and given only the best of everything. People who don’t have first-hand knowledge of exotic animals should keep their opinions to themselves. PETA is basically a Communist organization that would rather see animal starving or being eaten in the wild than in a protected environment with knowledgeable human caregivers.
May 8th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Now, maybe PETA was wrong about this because they didn’t have first hand information, but I don’t think it’s necessary to go name-calling here. PETA is not communist, isn’t a joke, and doesn’t deserve to be insulted. They deeply care about the welfare of animals, so why on Earth would they want to see them starve or suffer, Gloria? I think there is a better way to state your opinions than name calling.
I, for one, am not going to see Speed Racer. PETA may be wrong, but what if they’re right? I don’t want to fund these people only to realize later that they’ve been committing cruel acts towards animals. Chimp and Great Ape care may be expensive, but there are plenty of famous shows at Vegas and even a few that have been on TV where the trainers abuse their animals. Is asking for CGI or Animatronics really that much? CGI could be cheaper than paying for the trainers, and things would go faster without having to take breaks for the animals or waiting for them to behave. Jurassic Park, which used Animatronics, was hugely successful and looks very lifelike. The King Kong remake used CGI, and that looked as realistic as ever. So I don’t think it’s that much of a problem.
May 10th, 2008 at 7:44 am
We personally know the owners of the chimp in this movie. We have been to their facility and know first hand that they are very well cared for and loved. These people treat their chimps better than most people treat their own children. We visited there when the chimp was about 18 months old. He was nothing but sweet and very well loved! From what I have seen, most chimps have fun interacting with other chimps and humans. I do not believe they are being exploited!