PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) sent a letter to the City of Los Angeles this week, asking that it open an investigation involving the team behind Paramount Pictures’ new film, Jackass Forever, over alleged abuses against animals.
In a letter sent to Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer and Deputy District Attorney Kimberly Abourezk, PETA cited a number of examples from the film’s trailer in which it would have been possible for animals to be harmed, including “footage of Johnny Knoxville being charged by an agitated bull.” Additional footage questioned by PETA included Sean McInerney being bitten on the nose by a snake and a tarantula trapped in a plastic tube between Ehren McGhehey and Compston Wilson’s heads.
The organization further surmised that “other acts of cruelty may have been committed on the set of this movie that were not used in the trailer or the final cut of the film” and asked that criminal charges be brought against the production team as warranted.
In a separate statement, PETA Foundation Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for Animal Law Jared Goodman added, “Tormenting real animals for stupid stunts normalizes cruelty, encourages others — including minors — to harm animals, and violates California law. PETA is asking the authorities to hold Jackass Forever accountable for any violations and reminds the film industry that animal abuse cannot be tolerated.”
The letter also cited specific legislation in California that prohibits activities such as bullfighting or causing any animal to fight with a human.
The potential investigation over animal abuses is the latest in a series of road bumps faced by the Jackass squad, following a recent lawsuit filed by former Jackass star Bam Margera against Paramount Pictures. In a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in early August, Margera claimed he was coerced into signing a “wellness agreement” by Jonze, Knoxville and director Jeffrey Tremaine while in rehab in 2019 and was wrongfully terminated after testing positive for Adderall on the film’s set.
“Paramount’s inhumane treatment of Margera cannot be countenanced,” the suit read. “Margera was made to endure psychological torture in the form of a sham Wellness Agreement, and then ultimately terminated for his protected class status due to his medical condition, and his complaints about Defendants’ discriminatory conduct towards him.”
Jackass Forever was originally slated to hit theaters on Oct. 22, but was recently pushed by Paramount to Feb. 4, 2022.
Source: PETA
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