Ampersand, the pet monkey of Yorick Brown in Brian K. Vaughan’s acclaimed “Y: The Last Man” comics, will now be an entirely CG creation according to global non-profit group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
PETA previously slammed the planned series for its decision to use a real-life capuchin in the original “Y: The Last Man” pilot starring Barry Keoghan as Yorick, arguing that advances in technology means there was no need to subject real-life animals to such harmful conditions.
The series has since undergone a major overhaul and filming officially began yesterday on the new pilot starring Ben Schnetzer (“Goat”) in the lead. Timed with that, PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange said in a statement:
“For over two years, PETA has been urging the Y: The Last Man team not to prop up a cruel industry that tears baby monkeys away from their mothers and forces them to endure a miserable life stuck inside cages and in front of cameras. The decision to switch to computer-generated imagery is the only ethical option for depicting animals on screen and is welcome news for primates who suffer in the entertainment industry.”
The series follows Yorick Brown, last remaining man on the planet after a mysterious virus causes everything with a Y chromosome to suddenly die. Diane Lane, Imogen Poots, Amber Tamblyn, Marin Ireland, Lashana Lynch and Juliana Canfield co-star.
One of the show’s producers, Nina Jacobson, tweeted out the news, adding that this was “my first show ever where the Showrunner, Director, Producers, DP, Production Design and Costume Designers and Stunt Coordinator are all women, and that’s not even a complete list.”
Melina Matsoukas (“Queen and Slim,” “Insecure”) helms the pilot and the series will now premiere through Hulu’s FX hub potentially sometime next year.
Source: Peta.org
