The Rings Of Power's Stranger Scene Was Harder To Film Than You Realize
On September 1, 2022, Amazon Prime Video unveiled the first two installments of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." These episodes did an excellent job of setting the tone for the rest of the Easter egg-filled first season, introducing a host of characters and getting their respective storylines going. At the same time, "The Rings of Power" isn't quick to let audiences know what to expect in the coming weeks and instead has generated questions among the shows fans that they'll hopefully get some answers to sooner rather than later.
One of the biggest mysteries on "The Rings of Power" so far stems from a character known simply as "The Stranger" (Daniel Weyman). A meteor fell to Middle-earth at the tail end of the first episode and left a large flaming crater in the land. The Stranger sat in the middle of it, and when he awoke, he not only looked disheveled and distressed, but he couldn't communicate in any meaningful way. This has made getting to know the Harfoot Nori Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) a difficult affair, but they're working on it all the same.
Though we know little about the Stranger, he seems to be quite the imposing figure, especially compared to the diminutive Harfoots. Here's how those behind "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" depicted Nori and the Stranger's height discrepancy during first meeting at the crater despite the challenges that came with it.
It took a bunch of tricks to get the first scene between Nori and the Stranger right
In an interview with IndieWire, "Rings of Power" executive producer Lindsey Weber shed some light on the scenes between Nori and the Stranger, detailing what it took for the production to make the size difference between them work. "It can be slow and tedious at times to make it all work, but hopefully, the final product and magic trick feels really worth it and very Tolkienian," Weber said, explaining that they required tons of planning and coordination to make these sequences look authentic. Co-showrunner Patrick McKay corroborated that sentiment, noting that the Stranger and Nori's interactions became increasingly difficult to shoot.
McKay adds that they used a range of different tricks to achieve a noticeable difference in stature. Different-sized sets, a bunch of taller and shorter body doubles, and other techniques made it happen, especially once they got the footage to the editing room. "I remember standing there, and it was a little bit of: Pinch me, I'm in Middle Earth, but it was also like, 'Oh my God, are we making the coolest show on the planet right now?' I hope so," McKay recalled thinking as they filmed the Stranger and Nori's introduction at the crater, which told him that regardless of the hardships, he and the team were making something special.
The first season of "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is available exclusively on Amazon Prime Video and will run for eight total episodes.