Following the death of a horse on set, animal rights group Peta has slammed Lord of the Rings spin-off Rings of Power for “exploiting animals.”
Last week, cast members were left stunned after a horse collapsed while being trained before to a performance.
Amazon Studios confirmed the accident, adding that the trainer was not dressed in character and that filming had not yet begun.
They continued: ‘Both a veterinarian and a representative of the American Humane Association were present at the time. The independent necropsy has confirmed that the horse died of cardiac failure.’
Shortly after the news leaked, the animal protection organisation Peta demanded that the Rings of Power employ CGI instead of live animals.
In a statement, senior vice-president Lisa Lange, said: ‘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.
‘Peta is calling on the show’s creators – and all other producers – to take on a new quest without using any real horses.’
The horse in issue, as well as the 30 others on set that day, were provided to the production by The Devil’s Horsemen, a well-known film firm.
This is the first fatality in the firm’s 50-year existence, with The Devil’s Horsemen trainers taking pride in the welfare of the animals they deal with.
Earlier in the day, the horse had displayed no signs of illness.
The horse died while on site at Shottesbrooke Park in Maidenhead, Berkshire, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Sharing details of the incident, one source told the publication: ‘It was absolutely heartbreaking. It came out of nowhere.
‘One minute the horses were all charging down the field towards the camera and the next minute there was one on the ground. The next thing we all knew, it was dead.’
Rings of Power is available to watch on Prime Video.
Source My Celebrity Life.