PETA calls for more CGI as horse dies on ‘The Rings of Power’ set

Animal rights organization PETA has called for Amazon Studios to use CGI animals instead of real ones after it was reported that a horse died during the production of season two of The Rings of Power. For a franchise known for its heavy use of CGI to bring a fictional world to life, it seems what PETA is asking for isn’t too much of a stretch.

PETA’s calls for the use of CGI animals were made after it was reported that a horse suffered cardiac arrest on March 21. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon Studios released a statement, revealing that the horse was being exercised before rehearsals and both a veterinarian and a representative of the American Humane Association were present. After the horse passed, it was confirmed via an independent necropsy that the animal “died of cardiac failure.”

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a production horse died. The incident took place in the morning whilst the horse was being exercised prior to rehearsals.  The trainer was not in costume and filming had yet to commence. 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.” 

PETA was made aware of the incident and released a statement titled “Stop Lording over Animals” on its website. The statement was written by PETA’s Senior Vice President, Lisa Lange, who stated that for a show that uses plenty of CGI, it shouldn’t be hard to have CGI horses and other animals used in the show in place of real ones.

She calls for all producers, not just the ones at Amazon Studios, to consider using CGI to prevent more animal suffering because “one wants to see a spin-off for TV with torment as the theme.”

“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.”

Lange also alleged that during the production of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, there were reports of multiple horse deaths and injuries on set and that some animals faced cruelty and neglect.

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.

The horses that Amazon Studios used for The Rings of Power were supplied by The Devil’s Horsemen, the same company that provided horses for other huge titles like Game of Thrones and Les Misérables, and has worked in the industry for decades. The company revealed that this was the “first on-set animal fatality” ever witnessed throughout its 50 years of operations and claimed that the horse had no prior health problems before it died.

Filming for The Rings of Power season two started late last year, with images of the show’s newest sets circulating on social media. It was also revealed that eight new cast members will join the show. While it’s currently unknown when season two will be released, all episodes from season one are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.