Animal rights group PETA and Animal Liberation Malta have called on Hollywood director Ridley Scott to stop using live animals on the set of the Gladiator 2 production in Malta as temperatures soar.
PETA said that despite the SAG-AFTRA strike which has paused the filming for the upcoming sequel, it had been informed that the production will continue from Tuesday to Saturday next week.
In a letter addressed to Scott, PETA’s associate director for animals in film, Lauren Thomasson said a whistleblower had reported that a horse’s leg gave way on set, most likely due to the heat.
She added that there were also concerns that horses that were in costume were being exposed to hot temperatures and forced to stand in direct sunlight during and between takes.
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“Scorching summer heat and oppressive costumes are a dangerous mix for horses, who are naturally skittish animals, prone to flight and injury, and vulnerable to the stresses of a film set,” Thomasson wrote.
The Met Office issued a red warning on Monday, saying that it will feel like 41°C all week.
Speaking to Times of Malta Thomasson said PETA's initial correspondence about the use of monkeys for Gladiator 2 was sent to Scott on June 13.
The latest correspondence with the whistleblower report about the horse was sent on July 14.
PETA also raised concerns over the use of macaques (a species of monkey) stating that they can be unpredictable and that it is within a monkey's nature to solve problems with aggression, which can lead to them attacking or biting humans.
"Their teeth are sharp, their jaws are strong, and their bites are often severe. Macaques commonly carry the herpes B virus, which can be deadly to humans, so keeping them in the vicinity of humans results in public health risks as well," the letter continued.
"PETA and Animal Liberation Malta are not entertained after receiving whistleblower reports that Gladiator 2 is exploiting real macaque monkeys and forcing horses to work in direct sun, apparently in conditions so dire that one horse’s leg gave out on set," PETA's Senior Vice president Lisa Lange said.
She urged Scott to stop turning animal suffering into a spectacle as the ancient Romans did.
"And for stars, Pedro Pascal and Denzel Washington to do their part to bring Scott back into the 21st century."
Filming for the Ridley Scott epic began in Malta in June and was originally set to last four months.
It is being shot at Fort Ricasoli, the large fortification in Kalkara which also served as the main setting for the original film.
Questions have been sent to the film's co-producer, publicist and the Malta Film Commissioner.