In 1989, James Cameron’s The Abyss featured a scene, which sees a real rat being deliberately submerged in fluorocarbon liquid.

"The scene, which has previously been cut from screenings, is included in the version of the film available to stream on the Disney+ platform".

In the UK, this scene was so controversial that the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), advised by the RSPCA, banned it from UK cinemas and television for violating animal cruelty laws.

Yet today, Disney+ is streaming The Abyss worldwide in 4K with the rat-drowning scene fully intact. 

UK's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals first set off the alarms and has condemned this decision, stating that the scene’s “forcible immersion” of the rat “caused terror” and amounts to animal cruelty.  

We demand that Disney act responsibly and immediately remove or edit this scene from The Abyss on Disney+ streamed gloablly.

Animal cruelty should not be normalized or excused for the sake of entertainment.

Disney has the power to set a precedent for ethical filmmaking and distribution. It’s time to do the right thing.

Picture: Alamy