The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION: A NEW AGE — 6

S1 — E1 A SHADOW OF THE PAST — 10

S1 — E2 ADRIFT — 28

S1 — E5 PARTINGS — 82

S1 — E6 UDÛN — 102

11 12 14 16

Episode Overview

29 Episode Overview 30 Fire and Stone: Sculpting Khazad-dûm 34 Profile: Daniel Weyman as The Stranger 36 Back to Nature: Creating the Harfoot World 38 Anatomy of a Scene 40 Profile: Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV 35

83 Episode Overview 86 Anatomy of a Scene 88 In the Family: Directing 92 Profile: Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn 93 Profile: Leon Wadham as Kemen 94 Digital Dreams: Revolutionary VFX 96 Profile: Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow

103 Episode Overview 106 Immersive Mythologies: Culture-Building in Middle-earth 108 Anatomy of a Scene: Part I

Profile: Morfydd Clark as Galadriel

Setting Sail: Boat Design

Profile: Markella Kavenagh as Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot

Both Sides of the Blade: Weaponcraft 20 Profile: Ben Walker as High King Gil-galad 21 Profile: Robert Aramayo as Elrond 22 Anatomy of a Scene

112 Profile: Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir 113 Profile: Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn 114 Anatomy of a Scene: Part II 116 Profile: Maxim Baldry as Isildur

S1 — E7 THE EYE — 122

S1 — E8 ALLOYED — 140

S1 — E3 ADAR — 46

S1 — E4 THE GREAT WAVE — 66 67 Episode Overview 68 Profile: Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa 70 Anatomy of a Scene 72 Bone Deep: Hair and Make-up 74 A Global Symphony: Music and Score 76 Profile: Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel

123 Episode Overview 124 Profile: Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo 126 Best Defense: Costumes and Armor

141 Episode Overview 144 Profile: Charlie Vickers as Halbrand 145 Profile: Charles Edwards as Lord Celebrimbor

47 Episode Overview 50 From Head to Foot: Epic Prosthetics 54 Profile: Lloyd Owen as Elendil 55 Profile: Ema Horvath as Eärien 56 Anatomy of a Scene 58 A Real World: Location Work 60 Profile: Sir Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows

128 Window to the World: An Ethereal Aesthetic 132 Profile: Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot 133 Profile: Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot 136 Anatomy of a Scene

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER

F rom the snow-capped peaks of the Misty Mountains to the deepest chasms of the Mines of Khazad-dûm, from the ancient forests by the banks of the River Anduin to the ashen deserts of Mordor, no imaginary world is as rich and familiar as Middle-earth. Created by English author and scholar John Ronald Reuel Tolkien in his books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , this sprawling fantasy landscape has captivated readers for generations and has been extensively explored in books, songs, paintings, games, and films. Now, for the first time on screen, audiences are being transported to the Second Age of Middle-earth in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power . “Very few writers can say they created an entire genre,” says Patrick McKay, one of two showrunners on the series. “Tolkien did that, and a lot more.” For McKay and fellow showrunner J.D. Payne, creating The Rings of Power was the ultimate labor of love—and the ultimate privilege. “We came to the project as enormous fans of Tolkien,” McKay enthuses. “But one of the joys of the job was that we had to become experts, too. We had to really go in depth into these texts that were this man’s entire life’s work. That was an enormous joy that we got to experience every day.” A SECRET HISTORY The creation of Middle-earth and the vast Legendarium of its myths and tales started out as the daydreams of a British soldier preparing to fight in the First World War and culminated

INTRODUCTION:

Chinese filmmaker Wayne Che Yip, each of whom would direct key episodes in the first season. “I love fantasy worlds,” Brändström says. “But with Tolkien, it’s very much about real humans in a fantasy setting. You believe in the characters.” Yip agrees. “It’s such a dense and rich world. But from the first moment I met Patrick and J.D., I knew that Tolkien’s work was going to be in good hands. Their enthusiasm was just captivating.” ELVES, DWARVES, AND MEN Once the creative fellowship was assembled, it was time to begin the process of casting. “We did an extensive multi-year search of hundreds, probably thousands of actors to find the people who were absolutely best for each role,” says McKay. “We weren’t interested in big names or marquee stars. We have 22 regular characters and every one of them was like finding a needle in a haystack. So when I think about our cast, I feel enormously proud. Every single one of them belongs in Middle-earth.” For the actors, however, landing their part was only the beginning. “We did a lot to transform them into these mythical beings,” Weber recalls. “Prosthetics, dialect coaching, movement coaching. Some of them had to learn very specialized skills like swordplay and rock climbing, others had to learn to ride horses.” And of course, their appearance had to be just right. It fell to Costume Designer Kate Hawley to envision the countless costumes that the production

in several of the best-loved books of the 20th century. In the early years, Tolkien’s imaginary world was just a private hobby, existing only as maps and invented languages, as notes and scraps of stories. But as they developed, these scattered ideas grew more complex, ultimately weaving into a huge historical tapestry. So while modern-day audiences may be more familiar with the Third Age of Middle-earth, they may have only experienced tantalizing glimpses of the huge backstory behind it: names like Gil-galad, Isildur and the island of Númenor. These hinted-at histories were first laid out in the Appendices to The Lord of the Rings in 1955. Here, Tolkien offered family trees and character biographies, pronunciation guides, and chronologies, all there to enrich the reader’s experience. Perhaps most fascinating, he also included an account of Middle-earth’s Second Age: The founding of the Kingdom of Gondor, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, and the forging of the Great Rings. These are the stories that The Rings of Power brings to light. GATHERING THE FELLOWSHIP “The Second Age is the great untold story in Tolkien’s Legendarium ,” says McKay. “We felt that it was a story that deserved to be told, on the biggest scale possible.” “But every good quest needs a fellowship,” says Payne. “From the beginning we knew that we couldn’t do this alone. We knew we were going to need people we trusted, people who were excellent at what they did.”

Among the first to come on board was Executive Producer Lindsey Weber, a lifelong Tolkien enthusiast who leapt at the chance to explore Middle-earth for herself. “I can’t remember a time when Tolkien wasn’t in my life,” Weber says. “And J.D. and Patrick were so inventive with the ways they wove the stories together, and so surprising in the telling of the story, that I just knew it would be special. I also knew that they needed help mounting this massive production, and I wanted to be part of it.” TAKING THE HELM Next the team needed a director—someone with the experience and vision necessary to bring color and dynamism to this vast canvas. Enter Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, whose filmography spans from the intimate horror of The Orphanage to the magic realism of A Monster Calls to the science- fiction thrills of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom . “We needed someone who could do great character work but also big world building,” Payne explains. “J.A. had proved himself to be amazing at both of those things.” For the director himself, it was an easy decision. “I always preferred fantasy to reality,” Bayona admits. “When you think about Tolkien, you always think about big subjects. Big ideas that resonate with the audience, good and evil, light and darkness. Great themes.” Bayona would be joined by Swedish-French director Charlotte Brändström and British

required, from grand royal robes to shimmering suits of Elven armor. “Kate did a fantastic job re-creating each culture and telling the story of each character through costume,” Bayona enthuses. “She’s a real artist.”

A NEW AGE

Accept this invitation to revisit the wondrous and expansive world of J.R.R. Tolkien in Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power .

“The Second Age is the great untold story in Tolkien’s Legendarium ...We felt that it was a story that deserved to be told, on the biggest scale possible.”

— Patrick McKay, Showrunner

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER

BUILDING A WORLD With any show set in a fantasy world, the figures on screen are only part of the magic. “We had to ask ourselves, what does this world feel like?” Weber remembers. “What are the colors? What’s the smell? Then you not only have to dream it and imagine it, you have to build it.” That was the job of Production Designer Ramsey Avery, who relished the chance to create an entire visual world for the series. “The amount of work that falls to the production designer on a show like this is almost impossible to communicate,” Weber says. “But Ramsey is another huge Tolkien fan, so for him this was a childhood dream. You could see it—when the cast and crew walked onto one of his sets, it felt magical. It was inspiring to all of us.” For J.A. Bayona, physical things like sets, props, and costumes weren’t just part of the background, they were a central element of the story. “Beauty is one of the main subjects of this story,” he explains. “The Elves are trying to fight the forces of evil through beauty. So every single detail, every single object, every single costume needs to reflect that.” A MYTHICAL LANDSCAPE To shoot the series, the cast and crew headed for New Zealand, a land famed for its spectacular landscapes and world-class filmmaking facilities. But they’d barely started work when the global pandemic struck. “It was kind of bittersweet,” Bayona recalls. “New

“These are Tolkien’s characters, and we take our cues from him... Every single decision we made goes back to the text. We just wanted this show to be true to Tolkien.”

Zealand did an amazing job of managing the situation with coronavirus, and it was the best landscape possible to shoot this story. But at the same time, we could see how difficult things were in the rest of the world.” Nevertheless, shooting commenced across the two islands of New Zealand, alongside a painstaking post-production process. “They set up an incredible facility with editors, with VFX, with sound, with music, all in New Zealand,” Charlotte Brändström remembers. “Even while we were shooting we would go and look at scenes cut together and see what worked and what didn’t, and discuss it.” This allowed the production to keep to its targets, despite the real-world disruption. “We met every deadline,” Lindsey Weber reveals. “I’m really proud of that because it was not easy.” TRUE TO TOLKIEN For Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, it was all about respecting the source material. “We don’t own these characters,” McKay stresses. “These are Tolkien’s characters, and we take our cues from him.” Payne agrees wholeheartedly. “Every single decision we made goes back to the text. We just wanted this show to be true to Tolkien.” Following an epic journey of creation and myth- making, The Rings of Power was finally ready to be shown to the world. Weber, for one, is thrilled by what the team achieved. “You’ve got love stories and friendships and heartbreak and horror,” she says, “and some of the best action that you’ve ever seen. I think it’s really special.”

— J.D. Payne, Showrunner

“Nothing is evil in the beginning. There was a time when the world was so young.

There had not yet been a sunrise. But even then, there was light.”

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER

A SHADOW OF THE

PAST

Season 1 — Episode 1

Legendary Elven commander Galadriel takes up her brother’s mission to hunt for the Ancient Evil known as Sauron. After centuries of peace, her tireless journey leads her to uncover disturbing signs of Sauron’s return. Meanwhile, Arondir, a Silvan Elf warrior, patrols the Southlands and makes an unsettling discovery with the help of Bronwyn, a human healer. High King Gil-galad, his eyes fixed on the future, presents Elrond with an intriguing new venture. A meteor hurtles across the night sky, leading Nori to break the Harfoot community’s most deeply held rule.

Above: Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) stands watch over the people of The Southlands.

EPISODE 1 — A SHADOW OF THE PAST

Morfydd Clark as Galadriel

A centuries-old warrior described by J.R.R. Tolkien as the “greatest of Elven women,” Galadriel is the Commander of the Northern Armies of High King Gil-galad and a staunch

defender of good against evil. She is played with ferocity and passion by Morfydd Clark, star of the BAFTA-nominated film Saint Maud .

Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) adds to the collection of helmets of Elven warriors who perished during the war with Morgoth.

SETTING SAIL: BOAT DESIGN Production Designer Ramsey Avery on the intricate work that went into each unique vessel we see in the series

The production’s other major seafaring build, Elendil’s Númenórean vessel, first seen in Episode 3, was three times larger than the elegant swanship, and it was a similar feat of craftsmanship to design a boat that felt powerful, yet dated from antiquity. The elegance of ancient Venetian boats with scorpion tails provided the basis for the ship’s body, while the double masts of Chinese junk ships inspired the design of the sails. “That ship’s just a spectacular bit of carpentry. There’s no straight line on that ship, everything has a slight cant or curve to it,” says Avery. However, designing a boat is one thing; actually building it is another. The engineering process took 10 months, and Avery credits the high quality of the resulting creations to the local talent: “New Zealand is a great country for building boats. There’s a skill set, a knowledge base. The work here is just amazing.”

T o carry Galadriel and her cohort to the Undying Lands of Valinor, the craftspeople behind The Rings of Power had to build a vessel familiar from several of Tolkien’s tales: an Elven swanship. “It’s a very specific Tolkien thing,” explains Production Designer Ramsey Avery. “It has the prow and shape of a swan... but when you try to draw that, it looks like an afternoon-in-the-park kind of thing. It’s hard to make that feel dramatic.” As a result, the team enacted a design process that married Tolkien’s concepts with the team’s vision for more organic Elven design principles: “We had this idea of Elven architecture always coming from nature. So it’s not a swan; it’s a swan that’s built out of vines.”

“New Zealand is a great country for building boats. There’s a skill set, a knowledge base. The work here is just amazing.”

— Ramsey Avery, Production Designer

Above Top: Construction of Elendil’s Númenórean ship on set. Above Bottom: The Númenórean ship as seen on screen.

EPISODE 1 — A SHADOW OF THE PAST

Above: Filming of the Elven swan ship transporting Galadriel and her company to Valinor.

BOTH SIDES OF THE BLADE: WEAPONCRAFT

Intricate, ornate sidearms that are far more than just tools for combat

I n Middle-earth, you won’t get far without a weapon. Every hero who traverses Tolkien’s rich fantasy landscape needs a sidearm that reflects their character, class, and culture. “Tolkien put so much weight on the weaponry of the world,” explains Weapons Master Joe Dunckley, whose relationship with Middle- earth dates back over two decades to his days as a props technician at the legendary special effects and prop studio, Wētā Workshop. “Tolkien used them as a plot device—he even gave them names. That adds a layer of importance that we’ve got to put into it.” Working in collaboration with Property Master Matt Cornelius, Production Designer Ramsey Avery, and Showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, Dunckley and a team of art directors would use Tolkien’s writing as a baseline for developing the design of the weapons in

For the weapons of Númenor, Dunckley and the team had their work cut out for them. “We produced the most amount of artwork for our discovery journey in Númenor,” he explains, “which was necessary, because there was no precedent.” The finished designs and motifs recalled the kingdom’s prosperity (“a culture at the peak of its powers”) and its pursuit of a unique identity for itself outside of the influence of their former patrons, the Elves. “On Elendil’s sword, you have the icon of the sun rising over the sea, representing the rise of man. And on the cavalry scabbards you’ve got the infinity symbol, which we repeated throughout the weaponry as the Númenóreans struggle with the concept of mortality.”

The Rings of Power , exploring the materials, colors, motifs, and shapes that would best fit each species. “Each one has to have its own little design parameters that are true to their physicality,” describes Cornelius. “A Dwarf has huge forearms and they’re stocky, therefore the axe that they carry is a far heavier and more solid weapon than something that an Elf would want. It’s a design detail. You’re always trying to make it very clear that you’ve designed something that fits a certain culture.” To tackle this design challenge, the crew worked with the Wētā Workshop, with their expertise and uniquely inspiring brainstorming environment. “In Wētā there’s what’s called the weapons wall,” Dunckley explains, “which is like a museum of every possible shape and type of weapon you can imagine, and often our meetings would start in there.”

secrets so easily, at least initially. The mysterious broken artifact discovered buried under a barn by the young Southlander, Theo, bears Sauron’s sigil, and foreshadows the evil that is to come. “Originally, we went towards a classic sword shape,” recalls Dunckley, “but Ramsey pushed us to make it far more unique, and to think of it more as a key, rather than as a sword.” In stark contrast to the poetic, natural, light design of Galadriel’s Elven blade, this object is dark, twisted, and a representation of pure evil. “It’s designed to draw blood, even from the person who’s carrying it,” Dunckley continues. “It’s covered in barbs and spikes. Every part of it is designed to inflict a wound, and then channel that blood towards the sigil. Then the sword becomes whole, and we realise it’s not a sword at all.”

Galadriel’s trusty blade, inherited from her brother Finrod and by her side during her many years hunting for Sauron across the far-flung corners of Middle-earth, boasts an intricate design that is rich in Elven folklore. Growing out of the pommel and intertwining down the hilt towards the blade are depictions of the Two Trees of Valinor which brought light to the Undying Lands, embellished with pearls and representations of the trees’ fruits and flowers. “The blade itself,” describes Dunckley, “is stiletto-style, representing a shaft of light.” To forge such an integral prop, the team used 3D printers, and a nickel- chromium-based superalloy called Inconel® that is resistant to corrosion, stronger than steel, and well-suited for extreme environments—be they nuclear reactors, rocket engines, or the unforgiving, frost-bitten terrain of Forodwaith.

“In Wētā there’s what’s called the weapons wall, which is like a museum of every possible shape and type of weapon you can imagine, and often our meetings would start in there.”

But there’s one distinctive weapon in The Rings of Power that refuses to give up its

— Joe Dunckley, Weapons Master

Above: Finrod’s ornate Elven dagger, which Galadriel carries with her always. Above Right: The broken hilt found by Theo that becomes the key to evil finding a home in Middle-earth.

EPISODE 1 — A SHADOW OF THE PAST

Above: A Dwarven axe with engraved inscription in Khuzdul, the Dwarvish language.

High King Gil-galad (Ben Walker) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo) discussing Galadriel’s fate.

Robert Aramayo as Elrond

Ben Walker as High King Gil-galad

Of all the Elf Lords in J.R.R. Tolkien’s work, few are as mighty as High King Gil-galad, played by venerated American actor and comedian Ben Walker. But as the shadow of evil rises once more, will he heed the warnings of his lieutenant, Galadriel?

A half-Elf who chose an immortal life at the end of the First Age, Elrond is committed to strengthening the Elf kingdom of Lindon and forging an alliance with the Dwarven kingdom Khazad-dûm. British actor Robert Aramayo gives life to the role.

GREENMASTERY It was the task of Greens Supervisor

Simon Lowe and Greens Leading Hand Alison Todd to source 126 aspen trees for this sequence. Aspen trees do not grow in New Zealand, so trees had to be made using a special molding process and elements from other trees.

PRODUCTION DESIGN From an architectural perspective, Production Designer Ramsey Avery treated the forest setting as if it were a building, with a corridor of trees leading to a main atrium.

CHOREOGRAPHY Supervising Movement Coach Lara Fischel-Chisholm drew on each realm’s natural surroundings to sculpt the acting performances: “To have that architecture reflected in the body.”

High King Gil-galad and the Elves of Lindon honor Galadriel and her company on their return from a centuries-long search for Sauron.

Clockwise from Above Left: Nori (Markella Kavenagh) tells her stepmother Marigold (Sara Zwangobani) of her desire to explore the wonders that might exist beyond the Harfoot world. The decay infusing the leaves of the trees of Lindon portend the return of evil. Elven watchguards arrive in a Southlands settlement.

ADRIFT

Season 1 — Episode 2

Lost at sea, Galadriel finds a new ally after she is thrown together with shipwreck survivors adrift on a life raft. Looking to help Elven-smith Celebrimbor forge a new future for the Elves, Elrond seeks out an old friend among the Dwarves—Prince Durin. With the help of Durin’s wife Disa, the two reconnect. Despite Poppy’s hesitation, Nori convinces her to assist in helping The Stranger. The re-emergence of Orcs confirms Arondir’s worst suspicions, while forcing Bronwyn to summon her inner strength to warn her people of a coming threat.

Above: Halbrand (Charlie Vickers) questions Galadriel’s (Morfydd Clark) story of how she came to be stranded at sea.

EPISODE 2 — ADRIFT

FIRE AND STONE: SCULPTING KHAZAD-DÛM Drawing on the elements, memory, and lore to bring this teeming land to life

T he Rings of Power travels through the uncharted territory of the Second Age of Middle-earth, home to a host of species as they existed thousands of years before their Third Age counterparts. “Tolkien created languages and created cultures. We really respected that when we created the worlds for the series; every piece of furniture was a symbol in that language,” explains Set Decorator Megan Vertelle. “There’s no Tolkien IKEA, so we have to go back to that place where as children we read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings , and dig into our imagination. It’s almost like a form of psychology, because you have to channel all that character, and channel that world.” For Production Designer Ramsey Avery, the look and feel of each individual species’ environment had to address the “emotional characteristics” of each culture. When it came to the Dwarves, the proud and industrious cave-dwellers who wrought kingdoms out of mountains, that starting point was their relationship with stone. “At one point, in one of the scripts, one of the characters used to say: ‘The gods created the Dwarves out of stone and flame,’ and to me that was the touchstone of what Khazad-dûm should be— this sense that it’s alive.” Avery and his team sought to bring life into the stone walls of Khazad-dûm by focusing on three key elements: light, water, and greenery: “It’s kind of the opposite of everything we’ve ever seen with the Dwarves before, so it was critical to find the answers of how you represent life under the rock.” The Lindon tree,

gifted to Prince Durin by Elrond, that stands resplendent in his chambers, makes it clear that this is a subterranean world, teeming with life and light. This was an aspect also reflected throughout the entire set. “Of course, they’re mining and bringing things out of the ground,” says Vertelle. “And so, how can we best show that in the furniture? We looked at heavy, Byzantine forms, chunky gems; raw materials; chunks of gold. All things that have a real presence.” The team drew inspiration from the rough-hewn, angular figures of Tolkien’s Dwarf language in the design and shape of the furniture, such as the striking chairs in Durin and Disa’s dining room, which are studded with gold-ore settings. And there, surrounding it all, is stone. But how do you make stone feel “alive”? “We made sure the architecture always grew out of the stone,” explains Avery. “The rooms are actually almost just bare, rock walls, so that lets the rock always be present, and the stone always be a part of their world.” The Dwarves of the Second Age live in communion with their geological surroundings, with an ever-present personal touch: “It wasn’t that they were building blocks into the stone or they were hacking the stone out to make huge architecture. The rock is always there, the veins of the rock are there. There are cracks in the rock, corners chipped off because to the Dwarves, that’s what’s important. They live in the rock.” The choice of building material isn’t the only point of difference between the Dwarves and their fellow Middle-earth dwellers: The

“One of the characters used to say: ‘The gods created the Dwarves out of stone and flame,’ and to me that was the touchstone of what Khazad- dûm should be—this sense that it’s alive.”

very lines that define their language and architecture are unique. “One of the things that differentiates the Dwarf world is angles,” explains Avery. In acute contrast to the square forms of the human world Númenor, the elegant verticality and cursive strokes of the Elven realm, or the natural, circular shapes of the Harfoot clan, Dwarven architecture is filled with triangles and diamonds that recall not just the precious jewels mined from deep inside the mountain, but also what Avery calls the “characteristics of construction”: “They literally found the shape within the rock, bit by bit, by bit.” These shapes strike to the heart of Dwarven character: They may be strong and sharp, but they’re crafted with care.

— Megan Vertelle, Set Decorator

Color contrasts within the Dwarves’ royal chambers. Top: The interior light that provides the source of life to Durin’s Lindon tree, gifted by Elrond. Bottom: The warmth of Durin and Disa’s dining area.

Above: The entrance to Khazad-dûm displays the diamond and angular “characteristics of construction” found in Dwarven architecture.

EPISODE 2 — ADRIFT

Nori (Markella Kavenagh) bravely goes off-trail to investigate the mysterious landing site of The Stranger (Daniel Weyman).

Markella Kavenagh as Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot

Daniel Weyman as The Stranger

Known as Nori to her friends and warmly played by Australian actress Markella Kavenagh, Elanor Brandyfoot is an inquisitive young Harfoot who is endlessly curious about the world that lies beyond the meadows and forests that her people call home.

When a meteor crashes close to the Harfoot world, young Nori finds a man in the wreckage. Played by British actor Daniel Weyman, this ragged stranger seems to have lost his memory, as well as the ability to control the mysterious, unearthly power he possesses.

BACK TO

NATURE:

CREATING THE HARFOOT WORLD These itinerant proto-Hobbits required a cultural backdrop that was always ready to hit the road

L ong before the Hobbits of the Shire, there were the Harfoots. These humble halflings play a key role in the narrative of The Rings of Power, but their habitat couldn’t be more differentiated from the sprawling settlements of the rest of Middle-earth’s inhabitants. “They are small people in a dangerous world,” Production Designer Ramsey Avery explains. “They don’t have towns, they don’t have villages. But then how do you create that sense of community?” The answer was to create a nomadic neighborhood that appears to have blossomed out of their natural surroundings. “The textile department had a field day,” recalls Set Decorator Megan Vertelle. “They built up this really beautiful palette of greens and washed-out pinks and oranges. So

when you opened up the cart and set up for camp, they would reveal these amazing, joyful colors.” The Harfoots’ furniture was created to be collapsible, as if ready to be bundled up into carts at a moment’s notice, and was unified by a handcrafted, hand-carved, and hand-woven aesthetic. Capturing this called for expert technique, provided by Fabrication Weaver Mike Lillian, who taught the crew the dying art of French basket weaving, albeit with a local twist: Lillian’s willow material was intertwined with supplejack, a vine native to New Zealand. “The half-and-half carts are my favorite,” says Vertelle. “It’s the combination of really structured weaving—the old technique—with a wild, raw, roguish kind of style. It’s really incredible.”

“The half-and-half carts are my favorite...It’s the combination of really structured weaving—the old technique—with a wild, raw, roguish kind of style. It’s really incredible.”

— Megan Vertelle, Set Decorator

Above: The Harfoots’ nomadic neighborhood, built to blend in with the natural environment surrounding them.

Above: The Brandyfoots and Poppy Proudfellow transport their carts, which will expand to form their homes when they reach their destination.

EPISODE 2 — ADRIFT

VFX This raft sequence was shot in a tank that held approximately two million liters of water. Around the tank there were five 14-ton diggers with paddles to produce the waves.

VFX Visual Effects Producer Ron Ames says, “We created a small patch of ocean, but then everything else is computer generated: It’s impossible to tell where the line is.”

VFX One of the inspirations for the sea creature that attacks the survivors, says VFX Supervisor Jason Smith, came from “what Tolkien would have called a worm, but with the aggression of a shark.”

Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) finds fleeting safety with humans on the wreckage of their boat in the Sundering Seas.

Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV

The heir of the most powerful Dwarf in Middle-earth, Prince Durin IV is determined to make the kingdom of Khazad-dûm even mightier by forging an alliance with the Elves of Lindon.

He’s played under layers of prosthetics by Welsh stage actor Owain Arthur.

Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur) leads a royal procession to meet his unexpected visitor.

Clockwise from Above: Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi) returns to discover foreboding damage to the floorboards of her home. Elrond (Robert Aramayo) expresses admiration for the craftsmanship of the Elven-smith Lord Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards). The Stranger (Daniel Weyman) speaks to fireflies while Poppy (Megan Richards) and Nori (Markella Kavenagh) look on with wonder.

ADAR

Season 1 — Episode 3

An incursion of Orcs into the Southlands sees Arondir thrown into captivity and forced labor. Galadriel and Halbrand are found at sea and given safe passage to the island kingdom of Númenor. But their arrival causes complications for Queen Regent Míriel and Captain Elendil, whose children Isildur and Eärien find themselves on divergent paths. When the Harfoot community does not share Nori’s desire to aid The Stranger, she is forced to face the consequences. Finally, Arondir and his fellow prisoners attempt a daring escape…to tragic results.

Above: The grandiose architecture of the island kingdom of Númenor.

EPISODE 3 — ADAR

Above: The sudden presence of Orcs confirms evil’s resurgence in Middle-earth.

FROM HEAD TO FOOT: EPIC PROSTHETICS

“Y ou use a pair of ears, you throw them away. You use an Orc face, you throw it away. You use it one time and then it’s in the bin,” explains Prosthetics Off-Set Supervisor Dan Perry who, along with Prosthetics Production Manager Jamie Wilson, headed the prosthetic and make-up department for The Rings of Power. Turning a cast of hundreds into fantasy

Inevitably, they had the most fun crafting the villains of the story. “They’re the cool creatures of this show,” says Perry of the Orcs whose screen presence immediately brings a feeling of tension and foreboding. These Second Age Orcs predate later Third Age Orcs and Uruk-hai by thousands of years, leading to a different aesthetic. “They’re not so used to the sun, therefore that’s where the low tones came from, the lightest base skin,” says Wilson. Creating an Orc on top of a patient actor took from two to seven hours with the earliest call time being 1:45 am. The process began with cleansing the face, slicking back hair, and gluing on a bald cap. Then came the “interlocking-appliances” stage, which meant assembling “little pieces that go together like a jigsaw puzzle,” says Perry. Final touches were a wig, dentures, and contact lenses. While it might have been easier to rely on CG for eye color instead of practical tactics, there is no comparison. Says Perry, “As painful as the lens can be to apply, there’s nothing like having them there on the day to finish the make-up off and give it some life.”

creatures that look impressive on 4K cameras—so powerful that you can see foundation on an actor’s face—required a daily pipeline of new production orders. The department used silicone prosthetics sourced from Wellington-based special effects and prop company, Wētā Workshop, for everything from Elf ears to Harfoot feet to the many gory layers of an Orc’s face. Refrigerated trucks full of creaturely body parts were constantly arriving on set. “They have to stay at a cooler temperature because it makes them last,” says Perry, with Wilson adding, “It’s not like you can just pop it in a courier box and send it up.” The duo offer illuminating insider knowledge on the different durabilities of ears and feet. “We’d get multiple uses out of the feet, but the ears were definitely one time only,” says Perry. For the duration of the shoot, their lives were colored by staying ahead of the foot and ear production cycle. “An ear you can make in a couple of days. A pair of feet you need three weeks to make,” says Wilson. “There are boundaries as to what can be achieved in time and how long they last. It was a constant juggle to make sure we had everything that was needed.”

On the logistical marvel of bringing fresh, tactile fantasy make-up to the screen

“An ear you can make in a couple of days. A pair of feet you need three weeks to make.”

— Jamie Wilson, Prosthetics Production Manager

Above: Jamie Wilson and Dan Perry’s prosthetics work, as seen on the ultra-detailed face of a scowling Orc.

The series prioritized the use of practical effects as exemplified by the silicone prosthetics used for the Harfoot feet (Above Top) and Elven ears (Above Bottom).

EPISODE 3 — ADAR

Isildur (Maxim Baldry, Left) and Eärien (Ema Horvath, Right) inform their father, Elendil (Lloyd Owen, Center), of changes in their plans.

Lloyd Owen as Elendil

Ema Horvath as Eärien

In the island kingdom of Númenor, many have grown distrustful of their former allies, the Elves. Among those who hold true to the old ways is the noble sea captain Elendil, forcefully played by British actor Lloyd Owen.

The daughter of Elendil and the sister of Isildur, Eärien is a forthright young Númenórean woman from a proud and ancient family. She’s boldly played by American TV and film actress Ema Horvath.

LORE “Tolkien wrote quite a lot about Númenor: How it looked, its culture, and he even gave some real-world touchstones that we could look to for inspiration,” says Loremaster Griff Jones.

VFX VFX Supervisor Jason Smith says the grandeur of Númenor reflects the valiant nature of its people. “They were given this island by the [gods] because they fought on the right side of the war.”

VFX In designing Númenor, VFX Supervisor Jason Smith and his team embraced the verticality of the city, wanting to make it feel like it had been “thrust out of the ocean.”

A REAL

“Some of these worlds that we created are almost like a tapestry of several different locations all just coming together to create this one world.”

WORLD:

LOCATION WORK

— Kevin Spring, Supervising Location Manager

From ice peaks to secluded beaches, the visual bounty of New Zealand was harvested for this massive shoot

W hen Supervising Location Manager Kevin Spring began work in 2018, he was a department of one. This grew exponentially during an adventure across New Zealand’s North and South Islands that mirrored The Rings of Power in its scope and geographical magnificence. “We created half a dozen or so worlds,” says Spring, “and there’s a few new worlds that have never been seen in any of the other Tolkien adaptations. Some of these worlds that we created are almost like a tapestry of several different locations all just coming together to create this one world.” For dramatic natural elements like stormy seas, rock features, and tectonic plates, the production focused on the offshore islands of the North Island. Spring discovered two extraordinary beaches that he felt hit the sweet spot between aesthetic beauty and serving the story, yet episode director Wayne Che Yip didn’t feel the locations connected with his

vision. “The next minute I’m on the phone and, at that moment, we’re in the air and I’m texting property managers of other beaches that I’ve met over the years,” says Spring. Seven minutes of flight time later and a new beach. “This is it,” says Yip. “Quite often you’ve got to go to the place that is wrong to find the place that is right,” Spring continues, “and that was the case for the beach on this job. Quite often that’s when the best and most meaningful conversations happen.” From the dusty heat of the beach to the bitter cold of the mountains, and the opening sequence of Galadriel climbing an ice wall is a combination of Bowen Falls in the northern Fiordland and Wye Creek near Queenstown. One of Spring’s favorite locations was the Tasman Glacier at Mount Cook where they filmed 700-year-old ice caves and ice forms he describes as being “just quite spectacular.” Even for an Elf, that’s mighty ancient.

Left and Right: The Rings of Power production team brought Middle-earth to life by creating a tapestry of the natural beauty of locations from all across New Zealand— some never before seen on screen.

EPISODE 3 — ADAR

Sir Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows

For the diminutive, forest-dwelling Harfoots, their most- respected elder is Sadoc Burrows, the tribe’s knowledgeable

trail finder, played by British actor, comedian, writer, and national treasure Sir Lenny Henry.

The wisdom of trail-finder Sadoc Burrows (Sir Lenny Henry) safely guides the Harfoots from one season to the next.

Above: Ismael Cruz Córdova (as Arondir) displays the choreography and movement training required for the series’ detailed action sequences.

EPISODE 3 — ADAR

Above: Isildur (Maxim Baldry) yearns for a life outside of the Númenórean Sea Guard.

THE

GREAT

WAVE

Season 1 — Episode 4

Nightmares of an unsettling future for Númenor test Queen Regent Míriel’s faith, while the people she governs become restless with an Elf in their midst. The Orc leader Adar gives Arondir an ultimatum. Elrond discovers Durin’s secret, while Disa demonstrates a spiritual connection with the mountain. Isildur finds himself at a crossroads. Bronwyn struggles in her new leadership role, while her son Theo disobeys her—putting himself in even greater jeopardy than either of them imagined…

Above: Premonitions predict the potential future destruction of Númenor.

EPISODE 4 — THE GREAT WAVE

Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa

A wise, honest, and formidable Dwarvish woman whose connection to the mountain is strong, Princess Disa is the wife of Prince Durin IV of Khazad-dûm and the loving

mother of two energetic children. She’s affectionately played by British actress Sophia Nomvete.

Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete) has a special ability to communicate with the mountain.

PROPS Weapons Master Joe Dunckley made sure the weapons used by the soldiers of Númenor were like fine jewelry with gold inlay. The pieces feature iconography that reflects their history.

PRODUCTION DESIGN Unit Production Manager Pip Gillings

DIALECTS Supervising Dialect Coach Leith McPherson

was stunned by the bespoke sets built for Númenor: “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. I actually got lost in there when I was trying to find the set a couple of times because it really feels like you’re in this environment, this town, this village, this space.”

worked closely with extras in crowd scenes like this to make sure dialogue and dialect were always on point. Sometimes, directors and showrunners were updating scripts and setups the night before the shoot.

Attention to detail—from the production design of Númenor to the costumes of the extras and the dialects heard in the utterances of the crowd—in this scene, where Elendil (Lloyd Owen) seeks volunteers for the expedition to Middle-earth.

T he on-set alarm clock would usually ring between 2 am and 4 am, and that’s when Vinnie Ashton and Jane O’Kane’s day would start. Their sizable crew of hair and make-up designers—pulled in from such points as Kazakhstan, Ireland, and Germany— assembled on set and began their “builds”— with main characters having to sit in the chair for the better part of three hours. The pair explain that organization is as important as creativity when there is a vast sea of extras. “We can’t possibly wig everybody,” says O’Kane. “When you’re on a TV schedule, it just comes down to what you’ve got time for.” The results on screen would suggest the opposite. The pair’s work began by delineating the unique aspects and aesthetics of the different realms, creating a style sheet that could be applied across all characters. “We gave the Elves a higher hairline,” says O’Kane. “We made them have no body hair and we made them flawless. Obviously they’re very healthy. We tried to give everybody their own identity, aesthetically and genetically.” Elsewhere, hair and make-up ideas derived directly from asking questions about social settings and levels of comfort and deprivation. Ashton says, “We had a lot of psoriasis-y, pustule stuff on the Southlanders because they’ve got no vitamins. They’ve got skin disorders, scabs, and that sort of thing.” The days spent working on the Dwarves in the Khazad-dûm setting proved to be the most challenging for Ashton and O’Kane.

BONE DEEP: HAIR AND MAKE-UP Vinnie Ashton and Jane O’Kane explain how their department developed and applied rules to make every actor look perfect for the camera

“The beards were much the same,” says O’Kane. “We tried to cast people with some beards of their own, so that all we had to do was attach an under-beard which could touch the floor. We had all sorts of design challenges in the beginning, but we managed with our amazing team.” When it came to actor Owain Arthur, who plays Prince Durin IV in the series, the transformation he underwent to become his character was extraordinary. “The first time he got his nose put on in prosthetics, I hadn’t seen the process,” says O’Kane, “and I was outside and he literally just jumped out at me, and I honestly didn’t recognize him.”

Mohair wigs were crafted to provide the nature-inspired look that informed the realization of the Harfoot characters, including Sadoc (Sir Lenny Henry) and Nori (Markella Kavenagh).

Top Left: Owain Arthur, completely unrecognizable when made up for his role as Prince Durin IV. Bottom Left: Living and social conditions, including vitamin deficiency, informed the make-up approach for Waldreg (Geoff Morrell) and other Southlanders.

EPISODE 4 — THE GREAT WAVE

A GLOBAL SYMPHONY: MUSIC

A s gold dust swirls into shapes, rings, and trees, a new theme emerges from a familiar musical realm. The title theme for The Rings of Power comes from the creativity of Canadian composer Howard Shore, the man who created the aural atmosphere of Middle-earth in the Third Age. Taking up the baton and turning back the fantastical clock for the series’ episodic score is Bear McCreary, American composer whose work has spanned film, television, and video games. While the main theme of the series was composed by Shore independently of McCreary’s music, the iconic nature and distinctive sound of Shore’s past work allowed the pair to work seamlessly together and build on solid foundations. Reflecting on the difference between their music, McCreary says that Shore’s work “is so bold, and takes you on that journey, leading you emotionally every step of the way. With television, we have a different opportunity. We get to explore these amazing new cultures gradually. We get to meet each of these characters and watch their stories unfold over hours of storytelling.” The result is a musical journey of its own— nine hours of original music written over eight months for the first season alone. McCreary’s work lends an operatic feel to every element in The Rings of Power. Each character, location, and object has its own Wagnerian leitmotif, a theme which announces its presence in the world and brings the elements of the series together into a sonoric tapestry. Ethereal voices and choir singing Sindarin and Quenya,

the Elvish languages, herald the Elves, while a bass chorus in Khuzdul, the secret language of the Dwarves, announces the presence of the isolation-seeking mining species, to identify two of the 15 new themes. As McCreary reflects, “We have the time and space to pull you into each of these cultures with the music, and evolve our character themes so that you feel their emotions as they take you with them on this journey.” McCreary’s character-driven score was recorded over four days with up to 90-piece orchestras at Abbey Road Studios and AIR Studios in London, with the vocals recorded by a 40-person choir at Synchron Stage in Vienna. He was determined to write something unique and unexpected for this soundtrack. This included being intentional in choosing specific instruments and sounds for the different realms: ethereal voices for the Elves; for Dwarves, the metronomic clanging of anvils; hammered dulcimers and a Nordic instrument called a nyckelharpa for the Southlanders; penny whistles and Irish uilleann pipes for Harfoots; for the Númenóreans, a Turkish instrument called the yaylı tambur that produces a distinctive metallic sound; and for the Orcs, a flute made out of human bones. “Every cue is recorded with a massive orchestra and choir. It’s very thematic. But unlike a movie, there’s more opportunities for you to get to know everybody, for you to hear themes and get to know themes.” In its totality, McCreary’s soundtrack celebrates a Middle-earth as it was in the Second Age, vibrant and in its prime.

AND SCORE On the integral part that music plays in enhancing the emotions of Middle-earth

“We have the time and space to pull you into each of these cultures with the music, and evolve our character themes so that you feel their emotions as they take you with them on this journey.”

— Bear McCreary, Music Composer

Above: Princess Disa (Sophia Nomvete) leads a choir in resonating with the mountain, pleading for the safe return of trapped Dwarven miners.

Above: Bear McCreary conducted 90-piece orchestras and a 40-person choir to record nine hours of original music he composed for the first season.

EPISODE 4 — THE GREAT WAVE

Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel

As the king of Númenor was forced from the throne over his allegiance to the Elves, it has fallen to his daughter Míriel to step in as Queen Regent. The determined ruler of a divided

people, Míriel is played by English-born American actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson.

Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) confidently resolves to lead a Númenórean expedition to Middle-earth, despite the questioning of her chief advisor, Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle).

Clockwise from Top Left: Elrond (Robert Aramayo) looks on and overhears the secret Durin IV is keeping from him. Durin IV (Owain Arthur) reveals mithril, the new ore discovered by the Dwarves. Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) places her hand on the palantíri to understand the prophecy haunting Queen Regent Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson).

PARTINGS

Season 1 — Episode 5

Danger presents itself to the Harfoot caravan, forcing The Stranger to further demonstrate the extent of his powers, but in a way that causes Nori to question her own instincts. Elrond discovers the true reason he was sent to Khazad-dûm and struggles to stay true to his oath. Halbrand weighs his destiny as Queen Regent Míriel fights to maintain course in the face of increasingly fraught political headwinds. The Southlanders brace for attack.

Above: Three Númenórean ships set sail for Middle- earth to restore the true king of the Southlands.

EPISODE 5 — PARTINGS

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