Certified Animal Action Overview

No Animals Were Harmed™ monitored the animal action in this film to ensure the best standards of safety and care were met. From the dogs walking across snow-like studio sets to horses pulling carriages through the countryside, the animal scenes were carefully planned, rehearsed, and overseen by expert wranglers. Animals performed trained, natural behaviors, using treats, praise, and rest provided between takes. Complex scenes featuring wolves, mice, and ravens were handled with specialized handlers or enhanced through CGI. Thanks to the No Animals Were Harmed™ program, every moment involving animals was filmed with compassion and control, keeping their welfare front and center.

Detailed Animal Action Report

In the scene where the actors walk in the icy expanse with three dogs on leashes, these scenes were filmed on a studio lot that was dressed with white landscaping and real snow. Production placed stakes on the ground where dogs would be leashed. Real ice was chipped by machine to provide snow cover over white landscape fabric that was secured to the set. Prior to shooting, wranglers brought dogs to the set and leashed them to stakes. On action the actors walked a couple dogs on leashes passing dogs that were tethered. Between takes, wranglers stood with the dogs on set and provided treats.

In the scene where we see an actor in a horse drawn wagon holding a child, wranglers led the horse to set and attached him to a cart. They then drove pony and cart to a starting point at the bridge. On action, the horsedrawn wagon was driven over the small bridge as the actor sat in the carriage holding the child.

When the actor walks through a tunnel and arrives at a busy street and marketplace where there are horses in the background, prior to filming the horses arrived in their horse box. One horse was ridden and the rest were in the background with carriages. The road was made of tarmac and the horses were shod with road nails. The carriages were pushed to the relevant parts of the set, and the horses were walked to the carts and harnessed to them. On action, the background actors and horses performed rehearsed actions. Production provided receipts for all meats seen at the marketplace.

In the scene where the actor arrives at a nunnery, pulling up to the front of the building in a horse and carriage, prior to shooting the scene the carriage was driven to location and manually positioned in front of the building. On action, the wrangler drove the horse and carriage up to the designated area. Production used the same techniques in the scenes regarding the horse drawn carriage riding in the countryside and the scene where pulls up to the empty castle.

In the scene inside the lab where we see the crows flying about, the birds were created through CGI. The butterfly in the jar was also created through CGI.

In the scene where we see a snowy battlefield and there’s a crow feeding on a dead horse, the dead horse was a fake, created by the props department. The scene also features tethered horses in the background. The scene was filmed on a stage. Prior to filming, the bird wrangler brought the raven in a falconry box and removed him with a gloved hand. The atmosphere used on set, such as fake snow, was nontoxic and safe for the raven. The props department placed a piece of meat on the prosthetic dead horse. On action, the raven pecked at the meat while the actors and horses performed in the foreground.

In the scene where the monster walks into the woods and encounters a deer, the deer was created with CGI.

In the scene where the actor arrives at a cottage and we see mice crawl underneath the door, wranglers brought mice to set. The mice were trained to run A to B using a buzzer box and treats. On action, one wrangler placed the mice on the ground while the other used a buzzer to cue the mice to run underneath door to point B where the other wrangler gave them treats.

In the scene where we see the actor lead a herd of sheep into a pen, the sheep were trailered to set from their basecamp. Wranglers assembled metal panels to create a corral off the back ramp of the trailer. When they arrived to set, the wrangler opened the corral and the sheep travelled into the holding pen where another wrangler sprinkled some grain in the grass. On action, the actors simply led the sheep into their corral.

In the subsequent scene where wolves attack and kill sheep, actors in blue suits were filmed in place of wolves. In post they used these images to create wolves. On action, a wrangler in a blue suit moved sheep in a penned environment on set to create perception of the sheep being scared.

In the scene where the actor fights wolves inside of a cabin, production created this scene through a mixture of real wolves and VFX. The scene was filmed on stage in front of blue screens. Even if the scene depicts an intense fight with wolves, production scanned real wolves performing aggressive actions, then used this footage in post-production. On action, the wolves performed controlled and pre-trained biting actions with a trainer who also worked as a stunt double. Prior to filming, the wolf wrangler walked to his mark with a pouch of meat attached to his arm. Then another wrangler brought a wolf to set from the holding area. On action, the wolf jumped and bit the wrangler’s arm. They got several shots, while the wrangler used a clicker and verbal cues to make wolf back up. In post, they made it look as if several wolves were attacking the actor.

In the scene where we see a line of dogs pulling a man on sled across a snowy field, a wrangler was dressed to look like lead actor. The wranglers checked the iced lake to make sure it was safe. The eight dogs were fitted with harnesses. On action, the wrangler mushed the dog team over the prepared mile. Between takes, the dogs were provided water at the dog basecamp.