PETA plans to protest this Sunday’s Academy screening of director Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu.”

The animal rights organization plans to send a “giant rat” to the Samuel Goldwyn Theater to “set the record straight” about the 5,000 live rats Eggers uses in a sequence in the film in which rats descend on London, bringing with them the bubonic plague.

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Lauren Thomasson, PETA’s director of animals in film and television, said in a statement: “A human being is no more likely to be injured or killed by a rat in real life than by a vampire, and misrepresentations of these animals as harbingers of death are disputed. “ giving viewers the opportunity to see them as the intelligent, social and loving people they are. The only “Pests” that moviegoers have to deal with are directors who subject animals to the chaos and confusion of a movie set, and PETA encourages everyone to see through these shameful stereotypes and show rats the respect they deserve.”

The PETA rat will carry a sign that reads “Rats have rights!” We didn’t cause the plague!”

After one of the film’s first public screenings, Eggers discussed the scene in a conversation with Guillermo del Toro, saying, “When rats are in the foreground, they’re real, and then they thin out and become CG rats in the background.” And they were well trained.” He added: “I didn’t know rats were incontinent, so the smell is crazy.”

Production designer Craig Lathrop narrated diversity the scene “The Rats. None of them were lost. We found them all. They were all there. We built these plexiglass barriers so that the live rats stay in a controlled area,” he said, adding that the production took rodent safety into account. “In the street scene, the horses are on one side of the plexiglass barrier and the rats are on the other so the rats don’t walk under their feet and get crushed so no one gets hurt.”

PETA points out that rats form close bonds with their families and friends, enjoy playing and wrestling, and even giggle when tickled – and that they are less likely than dogs or cats to catch and transmit parasites and viruses.

The film is Eggers’ reimagining of the 1922 German silent film classic “Nosferatu” and depicts a gothic tale about the obsession between a haunted young woman, played by Lily-Rose Depp, and the fearsome vampire Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard), who is in love with her.

diversity has reached out to Focus Features for comment.

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