10 Movies That Abused Animal Rights During Production

8. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Exposed Animals To Deathtraps

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has acted as the reluctant host for one of the biggest Hollywood animal cruelty scandals in recent times. Despite Peter Jackson's fervent denial that any extreme wrongdoing took place, and a satisfactory report from the AHA, the film caused vicious uproar among animal lovers which saw a variety of protests at the film's premiere. During production of the J.R.R Tolkien adaptation, up to twenty-seven animals reportedly perished on a New Zealand farm. All kinds of animals were subject to cuts, bruises, and pitfalls in the "deathtrap" location, whereas others died due to malnutrition, dehydration, and exhaustion. The film also caused other groups to question the AHA's role in the suffering of the animals, claiming that the organisation did not do enough to force the film's production team to relocate animals away from dangerous territory. The production company did acknowledge the death of two horses, stating that they reacted swiftly and allocated costs for renovations which would improve animal welfare. Thankfully, Desolation of Smaug appears to have been handled with much more care than it's predecessor.