The Los Angeles premiere of “Twisters” on Thursday was met with protests from PETA, who objected to the film’s portrayal of a rodeo. Outside the Regency Village Theatre, a small group of demonstrators held signs with messages like “Calves’ Necks Are Twisted at Rodeos” and “The Rodeo Hurts and Kills Animals.” According to a news release from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, they demanded that filmmakers stop forcing animals to “stage distressing scenes that glorify rodeos.”
PETA also called on Universal Pictures to include a disclaimer in the movie’s credits about the real-life cruelty inherent in rodeo events, where cows, horses, and other animals are often tormented, maimed, and killed. They urged the filmmakers to discourage audiences from attending such events.
“While tornado chasers voluntarily risk their lives, the terrified animals who are mercilessly bullied in rodeo arenas and forced to recreate distressing scenarios for movies have no choice,” said Lisa Lange, PETA’s senior vice president. “PETA is calling on Universal Pictures to at least give viewers of this inhumane film the facts, which are that animals endure grievous injuries and agonizing deaths just so humans can play cowboy.”
During the premiere, one protestor managed to slip into the theater undetected and began shouting objections to rodeos while stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, and Anthony Ramos were onstage. The protestor yelled, “There’s no excuse for animal abuse. The film needs a disclaimer,” before being tackled to the ground by security and placed in handcuffs by police.
Ramos, one of the film’s stars, joked that it was “a wild intro.” The sequel to the 1996 action film “Twister,” the long-awaited “Twisters” follows people who warn us about the weather as they chase a dangerous storm. In the new movie, the technology the scientists use is just one of the things that has changed.
James Paxton, who has a cameo in the film to honor his late father, Bill Paxton, shared his emotional journey of being part of the sequel. “It took me a little bit of time to process it, just given the context of my dad and his significance in the original and him not being here,” Paxton said. “It’s an emotional thing. It wasn’t something that I could really decide immediately. It took a little time just to process it, just the magnitude of it.”
PETA’s protest at the premiere was a last resort after Universal Pictures and the film’s executive producer and director ignored their request to include a disclaimer about the cruelty of rodeos. Lauren Thomasson, PETA’s Director of Animals in Film and Television, stated, “PETA urges filmgoers and compassionate people everywhere not to be sucked in by ‘Twisters’ glamorization of animal abuse and to stay far away from rodeos.”
The federal Animal Welfare Act offers no protection to animals used in rodeos, which have been denounced by every reputable animal protection group. Certain states even exclude them from anti-cruelty statutes. Rodeo participants have been videotaped choking calves, twisting their necks, injecting bulls with steroids, using sharp spurs to make horses buck, and zapping horses and cows with electric “hotshots” to induce panic.
“Twisters” centers on two tornado chasers, played by Powell and Edgar-Jones. The feature is a sequel to the 1996 film “Twister.” PETA has previously criticized films such as “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Alpha,” “Jackass Forever,” and TV series “The Gilded Age” over the treatment of animals on set.
The protest at the “Twisters” premiere was not an isolated incident. PETA demonstrators were also seen outside the theater, carrying signs that read “Stop Glamorizing Rodeos” and “Lasso Tornadoes, Not Animals.” The organization wrote on social media, “We demand a disclaimer! @universalpics, it’s time for a reality check. @Twisters’ rodeo date scene glorifies torment, violence, and death of animals.”
PETA’s senior vice president, Lisa Lange, reiterated the organization’s stance, stating, “While tornado chasers voluntarily risk their lives, the terrified animals who are mercilessly bullied in rodeo arenas and forced to recreate distressing scenarios for movies have no choice. PETA is calling on Universal Pictures to at least give viewers of this inhumane film the facts, which are that animals endure grievous injuries and agonizing deaths just so humans can play cowboy.”
“Twisters” is set to arrive in theaters on July 19. The film follows a retired tornado-chaser and meteorologist who is persuaded to return to Oklahoma to work with a new team and new technologies.
Source: Entertainment Weekly, IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, The Independent
