Looks like there’s trouble on the SPEED RACER set, and it isn’t because Emile Hirsch is coming to set high on designer Shabu everyday. The trouble has to do with the chimpanzee who’s playing Chim-chim, and claims that he’s been beaten on set. Producers have confirmed that the chimp bit a young actor, but no word yet on whether or not the incidents are related. PETA responded to the news with a letter to producer Joel Silver (THE MATRIX) saying “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.” They then urged Silver to use animatronics instead of live animals, but of course, Joel Silver bows down to no one. He responded with “We appreciate the concerns of your organization. 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.” It’s ironic that a movie where the only real thing are the green screens decides to use a real animal, even when it’s causing problems. Either way, I’m calling for a YouTube video.
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