Here's Everything You Need To Know About the Dead Cat Controversy on the Set of 'Genera+ion'
Genera+ion, the new HBO Max series executive produced by Lena Dunham and created by 19-year-old Zelda Barnz and her father, is about a group of high school students in a conservative community who are trying to carve out space for themselves. And while that sounds interesting and enlightening, the production itself is getting a little bit of flack for something that happened during filming. In a scene for the show, actors had to dissect actual dead cats, and they allegedly didn't know that before showing up to the set. Here's everything we know about the controversy.
A series of tweets were posted alleging the incident, saying that the actors had initially been told they would be dissecting frogs, but when they showed up to set, dead kittens were brought in instead. Even if you're not a cat person, you've got to admit that's pretty disturbing.
Got word from a friend in the industry, HBO has a new show called Generation coming out. It’s produced by Lena Dunham and earlier this week they brought in real dead kittens for background to “dissect” on set. No warning, people had trauma responses.
— Lilith Rose (@Lilith_Rosex) February 5, 2021
Two background actors were upset enough about it that they left the show, which, TBH, fair. The tweets also allege that after the kitten scene was shot, everyone on the set was told that one of the cameramen tested positive for COVID-19. AND THEN when it seems like things can't get any messier, the writer of the tweet thread also claims that this wasn't the set's first COVID incident.
HBO Max issued a statement to Variety about the cat incident, saying:
“'Genera+ion’ depicts the unfiltered experiences of high school students and is drawn from many formative moments in the lives of the show’s writers. The production recently filmed scenes depicting a biology classroom assignment involving dissection of animal specimens. These were ethically sourced in consultation with American Humane via a biological supply company that works with schools. Everyone involved was informed in advance that this would be a sensitive scene involving a real dissection; the assistant directors checked in regularly with all participants on set, and two background actors who expressed discomfort were released with full pay. However, after subsequent discussion with the creative team, the scene is being reconceived and will not appear in the series. We deeply regret that this occurred.”
And in regards to the COVID-19 allegation, sources confirmed to Variety that a member of the team had tested positive, but contradicted the tweets, saying production only learned of the COVID results after the day had wrapped.
Lena Dunham wasn't on set at the time the scene was shot, but she issued a statement to Variety saying that she was not cool with real animals being used in any of her work and that the scene will be edited out of the show.
“I am committed in my life and work to the principled, humane and ethical treatment of animals," Dunham said. "I don’t use animal cadavers in any of my work, ever, and I was not on set or aware that they were used in a recently shot scene depicting a biology classroom assignment. I fully support the scene being edited out of the show.”
The first season of Genera+ion will premiere on HBO Max on March 11.
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