Story perspectives

Lionsgate Uses CGI Bubbles, Rejects Pet Chimp Endorsement

4/25/2026

Summary

Lionsgate Uses CGI

Lionsgate says the “Michael” biopic uses CGI for Bubbles and does not endorse pet chimpanzees, noting PETA dialogue.
Bubbles, 43, has lived at the Center for Great Apes sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida since 2005 after rescue from a Texas research facility, sharing the home with five other chimps and receiving care from Jackson estate.
PETA’s Lauren Thomasson praised the film’s avoidance of animals and urged audiences never to keep primates as pets.

Summary

Bubbles Paints

Bubbles, a 43-year-old chimpanzee at the Center for Great Apes in Wauchula, Florida, creates colorful paintings and holds each canvas until he decides the artwork is finished.
He leads a group of chimpanzees named Oopsie, Boma, Kodua and Stryker.
Weighing 185 pounds, Bubbles enjoys playful interactions such as gently splashing water or sprinkling sand on visitors.
The Michael Jackson Estate funds his care, ensuring a naturalistic habitat at the sanctuary.

History

Historical Context

After the 1973 Endangered Species Act created federal safeguards for threatened wildlife, chimpanzees were included among the species the act protects, prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to monitor an estimated 170,000-300,000 wild individuals. The 2005 rescue of Bubbles to Florida’s Center for Great Apes, backed by the Jackson Estate and PETA, now mirrors Lionsgate’s CGI-only Michael biopic, reinforcing legal pressure to end live-primate use in entertainment.

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Lionsgate Uses CGI

Lionsgate says the “Michael” biopic uses CGI for Bubbles and does not endorse pet chimpanzees, noting PETA dialogue.
Bubbles, 43, has lived at the Center for Great Apes sanctuary in Wauchula, Florida since 2005 after rescue from a Texas research facility, sharing the home with five other chimps and receiving care from Jackson estate.
PETA’s Lauren Thomasson praised the film’s avoidance of animals and urged audiences never to keep primates as pets.

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