action alerts
Evan Almighty
June 22, 2007
The newest Steve Carell film, Evan Almighty, made use of hundreds of exotic animals, including great apes, to produce “the most expensive comedy ever made.” The film’s animal supplier, Birds & Animals Unlimited, has been issued four official warnings by the USDA for chronic failure to comply with veterinary care requirements, failure to provide shelter from heat and sunlight, and failure to maintain enclosures to prevent escape. A few years ago, a child actor filed a lawsuit against Birds & Animals when he was bitten in the face by a chimpanzee.
Additionally, a chimpanzee named Cody who was used in the film has since been surrendered in settlement of a civil lawsuit alleging cruelty to animals. A primatologist who worked for Cody’s trainer for a year testified that the chimpanzees in the trainer's care were beaten regularly for training purposes.
What you can do:
1. Don’t see the film Evan Almighty! Share this information with your friends, family, and co-workers.
2. Contact those involved in the production of Evan Almighty to express your concern. These include Tom Shadyac, director; Steve Oedekerk, executive producer and writer; and Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman, actors in the film.
Steve Carell
Courtesy of Endeavor Agency
9601 Wilshire Blvd.
3rd Floor
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Morgan Freeman
Revelations Entertainment
1221 Second St.
4th Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone 310-394-3131
Fax 310-394-3133
info@revelationsent.com
Steve Oedekerk
O Entertainment
31878 Camino Capistrano
Ste. 101
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Phone 949-443-3222
Fax 949-443-3223
Tom Shadyac
Shady Acres Entertainment
100 Universal City Plaza, Bldg. 6111
Universal City, CA 91608
Phone 818-777-4446
Sample Letter:
Dear Mr. Carell,
I am writing to you to voice my strong disappointment in your film Evan Almighty, which features hundreds of exotic animals, including great apes. You may not have known that the film’s animal supplier, Birds & Animals Unlimited, has been issued four official warnings by the USDA for chronic failure to comply with veterinary care requirements, failure to provide shelter from heat and sunlight, and failure to maintain enclosures to prevent escape. A few years ago, a child actor filed a lawsuit against Birds & Animals when he was bitten in the face by a chimpanzee.
Additionally, a chimpanzee named Cody who was used in the film has since been surrendered in settlement of a civil lawsuit alleging cruelty to animals. A primatologist who worked for Cody's trainer for a year testified that the chimpanzees in the trainer's care were beaten regularly for training purposes.
So you see, unfortunately, the label 'No Animals Were Harmed During the Making of this Film' doesn't hold much weight. The American Humane Association only monitors the treatment of animals on-set. This does little to protect animals from abuse and neglect off-set.
Further, it's no longer necessary to use living animals in films now that CGI technology is available. In the future, I hope you will not participate in films that exploit exotic animals.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]