PETA has slammed the upcoming Jackass Forever, and demanded that all stunts involving animals be removed from the movie.
Despite the fact that many fans of the beloved American comedy series are thrilled to see the old gang reunite and put their bodies in harm's way once again, the animal rights nonprofit organization PETA has hit out at Johnny Knoxville and his friends.
Last week, the trailer for the upcoming sequel Jackass Forever was released, showing snippets of outrageous stunts featured in the movie. And, like previous Jackass movies and television shows, some of these stunts involved animals.
Check out the trailer for the highly anticipated return below:In one hard-hitting scene, a then-49-year-old Knoxville can be seen being taken off his feet by a charging bull. In another, Ehren McGhehey can be seen being strapped to a chair and being smothered with honey and salmon, before a large bear is led into the room.
Spiders and snakes also feature in the trailer.
Now, PETA has branded the slapstick series as "vulgar", and condemned the cast for continuing to use animals in their stunts.
Per Movieweb, PETA has accused those involved in the movie of "normalizing animal exploitation", with PETA President Ingrid Newkirk saying in a statement:
"Jackass stunts are violent and vulgar, but if the talent is willing and the wounds are self-inflicted, that's one thing-however, it's quite another when animals are exploited, harassed, and harmed: That's cruelty."
Newkirk's statement continues: "The Jackass Forever trailer shows Knoxville's crew provoking a snake and a bull to the point of attack, treating a tarantula like a game piece, and coercing a chained bear to eat honey off a bound participant.
"Four months before its release, Jackass Forever has already risked normalizing animal exploitation and legitimizing the cruel exhibitors who pimp out animals for productions. PETA is urging producers to remove stunts involving animals from the film."
Speaking to GQ earlier this year about filming with bulls, Knoxville said: "You know exactly what you're going to get with bulls.
"They hate you. They hate anything that moves. If you're moving, they get very angry. And whether you're a person or an inanimate object, if it moves, bulls want to make it stop moving. Which is great for us."
And despite revealing later in the interview that he can't "afford any more concussions, Jackass co-creator and director Jeff Tremaine did confirm that it was Knoxville's head that broke his fall after being gored by the beast.
Jackass Forever hits movie theaters on October 22.
