Warner Brothers & New Line Cinema Respond to Rumored HOBBIT Animal Abuse

Yesterday, Warner Bros and New Line responded to accusations of animal cruelty during the filming of the upcoming feature THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY. A statement follows:

Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema join Peter Jackson and the producers of THE HOBBIT in vigorously refuting and condemning accusations of animal abuse on the films. The production acted swiftly and responsibly in addressing any incidents involving animals in its care throughout the long filming process, and in fact, measures were taken to protect all farm animals, including those uninvolved with the films.

We question the timing of this misinformation — given THE HOBBIT’s imminent release — and have no recourse other than to reveal that the primary source of these new allegations can be traced to freelance animal wranglers who were dismissed by the production over a year ago for cause. We are immensely proud of our association with Sir Peter Jackson, his dedicated film crew and the people of New Zealand.

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