Statement: Following Horse Death on Set, PETA Wants ‘The Rings of Power’ Producers to Stop Lording Over Animals

For Immediate Release:
March 26, 2023

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange in response to reports that a horse suffered a fatal cardiac arrest during a 100-strong charge scene for The Lord of the Rings TV series prequel The Rings of Power:

“It seems that living underground with the orcs is par for the course for the producers of The Rings of Power, because they have the option to use CGI, mechanical rigs, and other humane methods that wouldn’t run vulnerable horses to death on set. PETA is calling on the show’s creators—and all other producers—to take on a new quest without using any real horses. If they can’t avoid exploiting animals for their art, they should find a new medium, because no one wants to see a spinoff for TV with torment as the theme.”

During the filming of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, whistleblowers reported multiple incidents of cruelty and neglect, including that horses died after being injured on set, a horse was tied up and left for three hours on the ground, goats and sheep died from worm infestations, animals were trampled, and more. Just before that, HBO canceled the horse racing series Luck, following the deaths of at least three horses. Last year, a horse’s death on the set of The Gilded Age renewed calls for an end to using horses for entertainment.