LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is using the audio from an argument scene between Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver from Noah Baumbach's 2019 film "Marriage Story" to scare wolves away from cattle.

After the wild animals killed 11 cows during a 20-day period in Oregon, the USDA started deploying quadcopters that used thermal cameras to reveal wolves in the darkness, according to the Wall Street Journal. When the drones detect the predators, they shine a spotlight on them and emit alarming sounds from loudspeakers to scare them away.

"I need wolves to respond and know that, hey, humans are bad," Paul Wolf, USDA district supervisor, told the WSJ.

USDA also uses the sound of fireworks and gunshots to scare off the wild animals. Since they started using "wolf hazing" in Oregon, only two cows were killed in 85 days, according to the WSJ. The USDA declined to answer questions from The Times.

The scene being used involves Nichole (Johansson) and Charlie (Driver) exchanging verbal jabs with each other. "Marriage Story" follows a couple going through a divorce and fighting for custody of their child.

Netflix released the film, written and directed by Baumbach, in 2019. It was nominated for six Oscars, including one for best picture. Both Johansson and Driver earned nominations for their performances.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.