Brad Pitt urged by activists to not produce film on Ecuador-Chevron $9.5B fight

HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 28: Brad Pitt attends the World Premiere of Disney's "Maleficent" at the El Capitan Theatre on May 28, 2014 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images) (2014 Getty Images)

Activists in Ecuador are urging Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt to not produce a movie about the country’s battle with oil giant Chevron over environmental damage in the Amazon.

The group Justice for Ecuador claims the book called “Law of the Jungle,” which Pitt’s production company Plan B bought the rights to, is a biased account of the legal battle by the indigenous people of Ecuador’s Lago Agrio, who sought compensation for the mass dumping of crude oil between the 1970s and 1990s.

The group said in its change.org website that it was worried the movie would “spread lies and misinformation about the destruction caused by Chevron-Texaco in Ecuador and undermine the efforts of the Ecuadorian people for justice.”

“Law of the Jungle” tells the story of the alleged fraud against Chevron by the Ecuadorian plaintiffs, which came to an end in 2011 when the oil giant was court-ordered to pay $9.5 billion in damages.

The petition, named #BradDoTheRightThing, has gathered more than 2,600 signatures and appeals to Pitt and his wife Angelina Jolie to stand by their “recognized commitment to humanitarian causes.”

“We invite you to do nothing with those rights,” the group wrote. “Do not produce a movie with this book but don’t allow others the chances to do so either. We know you will do the right thing and make sure that these lies never make it to the big screen.”

This petition comes less than a week after Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa invited the actor to visit the South American country to see for himself the environmental destruction allegedly perpetrated by Chevron-Texaco.

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