The Paramount+ western series 1923 follows the lives of the Duttons in the 1920s when Prohibition and the Great Depression were affecting the stability of life in the state of Montana. Dutton patriarch Jacob Dutton and matriarch Cara Dutton guide the family while facing various threats to their survival. Meanwhile, Spencer Dutton,  son of James Dutton, would rather be in Africa fighting a pair of lions and leopards. In the first episode of the series, Spencer teams up with two men from the local community to defeat the beasts that are threatening people’s lives. Intrigued by Spencer’s fight against animals, we set out to find out if the lion and leopard are real. Well, that’s what we can share about it!

Are the Lion and Leopards Real or CGI?

As the Duttons grapple with the harsh realities of Prohibition and the Great Depression, Spencer, a World War I veteran, chooses to remain in Africa, specifically Kenya. On the African continent, he teams up with local men to kill the carnivores that move into the dense jungle to attack and eat humans. At the beginning of the show’s first episode, Spencer fights a lion and kills the animal before it can kill him. At the end of the same episode, he manages to kill a leopard, and only at he is also attacked by another.

Since stunts involving these animals are guaranteed to captivate viewers, you have to know if the lion and leopard are real. So far, the creative minds behind the show have not revealed if the lion and leopard are real. or CGI. However, it is extremely unlikely that actual man-eating animals were used in the production to perform stunts that would have endangered the life of Brandon Sklenar, who plays Spencer. Real animals are typically used in the production of movies and TV shows when not involved in life-threatening stunts.

Since the stunt scenes in the series show Sklenar’s character physically fighting the two animals, they are most likely not real. The lion and leopards were likely created using computer-generated imagery to ensure the safety of Sklenar and other crew members. from the imagination. Unlike dogs, lions and leopards are not easy animals on a movie set. Also, the rules and regulations surrounding the use of these animals must have made using real animals difficult. Given that CGI has pushed its limits, it’s understandable how graphically conceived animals are replacing the original in film and television productions. Over the years, various CGI animals have managed to enthrall viewers, including the fox in Antichrist, the bear in The Revenant, the animals in Joe vs. Carole, etc.

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