The Humane Society: Save Ralph

Anti-animal cruelty charity, Humane Society International (HSI), has unveiled 'Save Ralph', a star-studded short film which aims to shine a spotlight on the issue of animal testing.

Voiced by Hollywood stars including Taika Waititi, Zac Efron, Ricky Gervais, Olivia Munn, Tricia Helfer and Pom Klementieff, the stop motion animation was unveiled on Tuesday (6 April) as part of a campaign to ban animal testing for cosmetic products.

Shot in the style of a documentary, 'Save Ralph' follows the routine of the working rabbit Ralph, voiced by Waititi — who is most famous for work such as What We Do in the Shadows and Jojo Rabbit.

Poor old Ralph is blind from one eye, can only hear a ringing sound on his right year, and his body is covered by chemical burns that make it painful to move. The script sees Ralph take us through a day in a testing lab and give a testimony about the importance of his work and his pride in coming from a long line of testers.

Spencer Susser of The Greatest Showman fame wrote and directed the piece with HSI, Jeff Vespa and Andy Gent’s Arch Model Studio co-producing.

HSI aims to promote animal-free testing and research, rescue endangered animals, and try to reduce the negative impacts of farming on animal life.

With Ralph as its new 'spokes-bunny', the organisation intends to use the animation as an easy way to reach a wide public via digital channels and encourage support for an ongoing petition to ban cosmetic tests on animals.