On Wednesday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called for a boycott of the upcoming family wilderness drama "Alpha," which opens Friday, alleging in a press release that "multiple bison were reportedly slaughtered and partially skinned to be used for a hunting scene."
Set during the Upper Paleolithic period, the Albert Hughes-directed film follows a young boy (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is separated from his tribe and bonds with a lone wolf to survive.
"Five sensitive bison lost their lives, all so that their bodies could be used as props in this wholly forgettable flick," Lisa Lange, PETA's senior vice president, said in a statement. "PETA is calling on the public to show Hollywood that cruelty to animals will not be tolerated by refusing to buy a ticket to 'Alpha.'"
In response, a source close to the situation countered that no bison were killed for the sole purpose of the film. The production team contracted with a reputable meat-processing company to purchase previously harvested bison carcasses, according to the source, and the studio followed best practices and was not aware of any deviations from the guidelines of the American Humane Assn., which monitors animal welfare on movie and television shoots and strictly forbids the killing of any animals for the purpose of film production.
