PETA Calls for New Ending in Remake of Dumbo

That little elephant with the very big ears is headed back to the big screen in a live action/CGI adaptation of the 1941 animated film and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have something to say about it. In a letter sent to Tim Burton, director of the remake, PETA is calling for a “truly happy ending” for the fictional elephant and his mother.

The letter from the organization’s Animals in Film and Television Division also referenced the announcement from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus that the company will phase out its elephant acts by 2018. PETA has been fighting for a change in the circus act suggesting that animals perform because they’re afraid they will be beaten if they don’t.

In the communication with Burton, PETA executive Lisa Lange wrote, “We hope that in your adaptation of Dumbo, the young elephant and his mother can have a truly happy ending by living out their lives at a sanctuary instead of continuing to be imprisoned and abused in the entertainment industry.”

Burton has yet to confirm how he will approach the story.