An animal rights group has blasted producers of the new Lord of the Rings series after a horse died on set last Tuesday.
“It seems like life underground with the orcs is normal for the producers of ‘The Rings of Power’ because of their ability to use CGI [des images générées par ordinateurs]mechanical platforms and other human methods,” Lisa Lange, vice president of animal rights group PETA, denounced in a press release, The Guardian reported.
Last Tuesday, a horse died of heart failure on the set of The Rings of Power series while training for the second season of the fantasy series based on the universe of English writer JRR Tolkien.
The incident happened during a practice session with the horses, where the trainer “was not in disguise and filming had not yet begun,” an Amazon Studios spokesman said Sunday morning, thinking “deeply saddened.”
At the time of the incident, the horse was standing near about 20 other horses. In total there were more than 30 horses on the set. According to him, a veterinarian and a representative from the American Humane Association, an organization that works to ensure the safety and welfare of animals, were also on site.
The Animal Welfare Agency has urged producers to stop “exploiting” animals and use available technology instead.
“PETA urges the creators of the series – and all other producers – to embark on a new quest without using real horses,” pounded the vice president.
This isn’t the first time the franchise’s producers have come under fire for the way they treat animals on their film sets.
In 2012, according to reports at the time, three horses and several farm animals died on the set of The Hobbit.
PETA then started a petition urging viewers to “refuse to watch” films that harm animals.