Go Away, 'Speed Racer'! Put the Brakes on Chimpanzee Cruelty

When PETA learned that real chimpanzees would play the part of Chim Chim in the Wachowski brothers' live-action movie adaptation of the classic television series Speed Racer, we immediately wrote to the Wachowskis and Warner Bros. urging them to use computer-generated imagery (CGI) or animatronics instead. Why? Chimpanzee "actors" are forcibly removed from their mothers when they are just infants—sometimes when they are only days old—causing lifelong emotional scars and an unshakable fear of the unknown. Trainers want these curious and playful animals to know that they're the boss, so the animals are often subjected to repeated beatings—a practice that the industry accurately refers to as "breaking the spirit."

The Wachowskis and Warner Bros. ignored PETA's pleas, and one chimpanzee allegedly felt the sting of their indifference. A whistleblower reported that the chimpanzee was severely beaten, and PETA confirmed the source's report that a chimpanzee also bit a young actor on the set.

Please use the form below to let the chair of Warner Bros. know that instead of going to see Speed Racer in the theater, you'll be staying in and renting the animated series. Urge the studio to replace the live chimpanzees with CGI or animatronics in the future in order to protect the safety of animals and those working with them.