Ridley Scott has been urged to stop using live animals on the set of Gladiator 2 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

In letters addressed to Scott and actor Pedro Pascal obtained by the Los Angeles Times, the animal-rights organisation urged the production to stop working with horses and macaque monkeys after allegedly receiving “whistleblower reports”.

“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 to the Times of Malta.

“We urge director Ridley 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.”

A source close to the production told the LA Times on Tuesday that “there have not been any animal injuries or incidents” on the set of Gladiator 2, adding that a certified animal safety representative has been present during filming on behalf of the American Humane Society.

Representatives for Scott, 85, and Pascal, 48, have not yet responded to PETA’s calls.

Gladiator 2 began filming in Malta in June. It is unclear how production has been affected by the actors’ strike.

The sequel, also starring Paul Mescal, Connie Nielsen and Djimon Hounsou, is scheduled to be released on 22 November 2024.

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