USDA Scares Wolves Away with Audio Clips from ‘Marriage Story’ to Protect Livestock

In a peculiar turn of events, audio clips from the 2019 film “Marriage Story,” featuring a tense exchange between Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, are being utilized by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in an unconventional approach to deter wolves causing havoc on west coast farms.

According to a report published by the Wall Street Journal, these dramatic audio clips, directed by Noah Baumbach, are among several sounds being broadcast through speakers over farmlands, designed to scare away wolves that have been preying upon livestock. The USDA aims to instill fear in the wolves, with a district supervisor from Oregon, Paul Wolf, stating, “I need the wolves to respond and know that, hey, humans are bad.”

Gray wolves are reportedly posing a threat to livestock herds across the American West, prompting the USDA to employ various methods to protect the cattle. In addition to broadcasting alarming sounds from drones, including fireworks, gunshots, and select pieces of pop culture, the department has also resorted to playing AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and Five Finger Death Punch’s “Blue on Black.” These audio selections are intended to scare away wolves spotted overhead from their aerial positions.

The USDA could not be reached for further information, while efforts to obtain comment from a representative for Baumbach were unsuccessful at the time of publication.

“Marriage Story,” which premiered in 2019, stars Driver, Johansson, and Laura Dern, and depicts a couple grappling with an intense divorce. The film received six Oscar nominations, including best picture and original screenplay, with Dern winning the statuette for her supporting role performance in 2020.