A day after continued fallout from a video that surfaced on set, the premiere for the film "A Dog's Purpose" has been canceled.
The video in question was obtained by celebrity gossip site TMZ. It shows a German shepherd named Hercules struggling with a trainer as people on set appear to try to guide the dog into a pool of water rigged to create the effect of rushing waves.
The cancellation news comes despite Amblin producers telling TMZ the dog had "several days of rehearsal of the water scenes to ensure (he) was comfortable with all of the stunts," and when the dog did not want to do the stunt, "the Amblin production team did not proceed with filming that shot."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, the distributor and creator of the film, are no longer having a premiere or press junket, both of which were scheduled for this weekend in Los Angeles.
The video in question was obtained by celebrity gossip site TMZ. It shows a German Shepherd named Hercules struggling with a trainer as people on set appear to try to guide the dog into a pool of water rigged to create the effect of rushing waves.
The video has led to the suspension of a American Humane Association representative who was on set. The AHA ensures safety guidelines for animal actors are met on movie sets.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has called for a boycott of the film and claims the organization that allegedly supplied the dogs used in the movie has a history of neglecting animals.
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment issued a statement about the cancellation:
Because Amblin's review into the edited video released yesterday is still ongoing, distributor Universal Pictures has decided it is in the best interest of A Dog's Purpose to cancel this weekend's premiere and press junket. Amblin and Universal do not want anything to overshadow this film that celebrates the relationship between humans and animals.
Since the emergence of the footage, Amblin has engaged with many associated with the production of the film, including safety personnel, trainers and stunt coordinators as part of their in-depth review. While we are all disheartened by the appearance of an animal in distress, everyone has assured us that Hercules the German Shepherd was not harmed throughout the filmmaking.
W. Bruce Cameron, the author of the book "A Dog's Purpose," which the film is based on, issued a statement that The Hollywood Reporter posted in full. Cameron also wrote the screenplay for the film. He began the statement by thanking the "literally thousands" of supporters who wrote to him and the film crew, and then expressed criticism of the video:
I found the video we've all seen to be shocking because when I was on set, the ethic of everyone was the safety and comfort of the dogs.
If the people who shot and edited the video thought something was wrong, why did they wait fifteen months to do anything about it, instead of immediately going to the authorities?
I have since viewed footage taken of the day in question, when I wasn't there, and it paints an entirely different picture.
The written commentary accompanying the edited video mischaracterizes what happened. The dog was not terrified and not thrown in the water—I've seen footage of Hercules earlier that day joyfully jumping in the pool. When he was asked to perform the stunt from the other side of the pool, which was not how he had been doing it all day, he balked. The mistake was trying to dip the dog in the water to show him it was okay—the water wasn't his issue, it was the location that was the issue, and the dog happily did the stunt when he was allowed to return to his original spot.
I also didn't like it when Hercules's head briefly went under water, but there was a scuba diver and a trainer in the pool to protect him. He loves the water, wasn't in danger, and wasn't upset.
On a movie where the mantra was the safety and comfort of the dogs, mistakes were made, and everything needs to be done to make sure those errors are not repeated. But the reason American Humane certifies that no animals were harmed during the making of the film is that no animals were harmed during the making of the film.
I celebrate animal rescue and am proud of the values that show up in A Dog's Purpose.
"A Dog's Purpose" is in theaters nationwide Jan. 27.
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