A new report from The Wall Street Journal has revealed an unexpected use for Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story: wolf deterrence.
The United States Department of Agriculture is using audio from the film’s most intense fight scene, featuring Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, to scare off wolves and protect livestock.
According to the report, drones equipped with thermal cameras and loudspeakers patrol areas like Oregon’s Klamath Basin. These drones broadcast a variety of alarming sounds, including fireworks, gunshots, and people arguing.
Among the recordings is the heated exchange between Johansson and Driver in the 2019 drama, which earned both actors Oscar nominations.
“I need the wolves to respond and know that, hey, humans are bad,” said a USDA district supervisor. The method, known as “wolf hazing,” combines audio deterrents with drone surveillance to reduce livestock attacks without harming the animals.
The practice was introduced after 11 cattle deaths occurred in just 20 days in southern Oregon. In the 85 days following the drone deployment, only two deaths were reported. Other deterrents used include rock music like AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” reinforcing the strategy’s reliance on unpredictable, human-made noise.
Marriage Story depicts a bitter divorce and custody battle, and its raw emotional performances have proven useful in an entirely different setting than originally intended.
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