The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power executive producer Lindsay Weber and prosthetics department head Jamie Wilson break down why the Orcs were redesigned for the upcoming prequel series. Based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s iconic fantasy novels, The Rings of Power takes place thousands of years before the events of Peter Jackson’s beloved trilogy, chronicling the creation of the titular rings during the Second Age of Middle-earth. The show, which is produced by Prime Video, is already one of the most expensive TV shows ever made, with Amazon expected to spend at least $1 billion over the course of the show’s 5 planned seasons.
In addition to Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits, The Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Ring introduces audiences to Orcs, a race of humanoid goblin creatures that frequently stand in the way of the film’s heroes. The iconic enemy doesn’t often represent a major threat one-on-one, but, when amassed in armies of thousands serving the Dark Lord of Mordor, Jackson’s trilogy shows just how deadly they can be. Fortunately for fans, it was recently confirmed that The Rings of Power will feature Orcs as well, albeit a version of the race that, while similar, sports a new appearance from previous franchise installments.
In a new interview with IGN, Weber and Wilson break down why Orcs were redesigned for The Rings of Power and the thinking that went into creating their new appearance. Wilson describes the prequel show’s Orcs as “baby versions,” explaining that Orcs don’t have the hundreds of years worth of battle scars, mutilations, and sun damage that afflicts the creatures in Jackson’s trilogy. Check out Wilson’s full comment below:
“The way I described it to my team, it’s a bit like these are the baby versions. They’re not actually babies, but it’s them coming out from the darkness. So this is early on. So for example, if you go to past films about them, you’ll see them and they’re quite battle damaged and scarred and all that kind, because there’s been lots more battles. This is kind of before the next range of big battles. So there’s a lot more smooth texture. There’s still wrinkles, and lines, and shape, and form, but they’re not so battle scarred, but they are dealing with some skin conditions because of their exposure to the sun. They’re coming back out for the first time again. So it’s all a bit new. That’s why they’re not as dark skinned, necessarily not as muscle-y and not as battle worn as you’d seen in previous productions.”
The Orc redesign in The Rings of Power matches much of what has been shown off in the show’s trailer, with the architecture and general landscape of Middle-earth feeling fresher and newer than in Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. While the Orcs do look different from what fans are used to, it should be noted that, like in Jackson’s trilogy, the creatures are created using mostly practical effects, including makeup and prosthetics. Orcs will definitely sport a new look, but it’s still not yet clear if the creatures will still be just as blood-thirsty as previous incarnations.
Although it’s still too early to tell how The Rings of Power will compare to Jackson’s trilogy, it’s evident that the show will be differentiating itself in a number of key ways. Telling a story set in the Second Age allows the showrunners to explore Middle-earth in a way fans haven’t seen before, depicting a number of classic Tolkien races and locations in ways that are fresh and yet still familiar. It remains to be seen how the Orcs in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will impact the stories of the show’s heroes, but it’s clear that a lot of thought has gone into creating the creatures’ new look.
