Extras on the forthcoming HBO Max show Generation quit last week after real cat corpses were used in a dissection scene.
The series, pegged as an super-realistic look at high school life, is created by 19-year-old Zelda Barnz and her father Daniel Barnz, and executive produced by Lena Dunham.
The dead cats were used for a scene set in a biology class that was being filmed last Thursday (4 February).
Twitter user @Lilith_Rosex shared the news on Friday, posting: “Got word from a friend in the industry, HBO has a new show called Generation coming out. It’s produced by Lena Dunham and earlier this week they brought in real dead kittens for background to ‘dissect’ on set. No warning, people had trauma responses.”
In response to the story, HBO Max released a statement saying that the “animal specimens… were ethically sourced in consultation with American Humane via a biological supply company that works with schools”.
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It added: “Everyone involved was informed in advance that this would be a sensitive scene involving a real dissection; the assistant directors checked in regularly with all participants on set, and two background actors who expressed discomfort were released with full pay.
"However, after subsequent discussion with the creative team, the scene is being reconceived and will not appear in the series. We deeply regret that this occurred.”
Dunham, who was not on set at the time, claimed she was not aware of the use of the cat corpses.
She said in a statement: “I am committed in my life and work to the principled, humane and ethical treatment of animals. I don’t use animal cadavers in any of my work, ever, and I was not on set or aware that they were used in a recently shot scene depicting a biology classroom assignment. I fully support the scene being edited out of the show.”
