Of all the terrors to confront the Fellowship of the Ring on their journey, none would compare with the Balrog. A demon of flame and shadow, the creature had lain entombed for countless ages in the deepest darkness, far beneath the Misty Mountains.
Deep within the earth, tunnelling for Mithril in sunless black rock, the Dwarves disturbed something that had remained safely entombed since ages past. A being of unfathomable terror, a relic of a time of gods and giants, a creature of which the like should never walk again in Middle-earth and for whom there were few equals remaining in the world. A Balrog of Morgoth. The Balrog could be harmed by no blade or device of Dwarf design. By the hundreds, Durin’s people and the Dwarf King himself fell before the beast, after named Durin’s Bane.
When the Fellowship of the Ring sought to pass beneath the Misty Mountains and thereby thwart the attentions of the fallen Wizard Saruman, it was against Gandalf’s grave misgivings, for the Grey Wizard suspected what haunted in the shadows of Moria. Secrecy alone might secure their safe passage, for if the Balrog were alerted, Gandalf knew their escape would only be bought at a great price, and he would not again pass through the Dwarf realm’s doors.
When design work began on The Lord of the Rings in 1997, the look of many of Middle-earth’s most evil creatures was open to interpretation. Loose descriptions in the books, plus rough sketches by seasoned Tolkien artist John Howe, helped guide Wētā Workshop concept artist Ben Wootten in his development of the Balrog.
Ben Wootten’s background studying both art and biology informed his designs and rooted the Balrog in a tangible anatomical reality, while the flaming mane and cracked lava hide gave it an elemental savagery - elevating the creature above the rest of the trilogy’s less fantastical monsters.
In 2001, the epic clash between this titan and Gandalf the Grey thrilled audiences and left us with the immortal phrase: “You shall not pass!”
20 years on; the Balrog has been reimagined once more by the team at Wētā Workshop as part of our Classic Series line.
The 20th Anniversary of The Lord of the Rings movies has special significance to us here at the Workshop, and we are delighted to commemorate the upcoming event with a brand new series of iconic Middle-earth figures. Let the celebrations begin!
To celebrate the upcoming 20th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings, the team at Wētā Workshop have created a special line of polystone statues featuring Middle-earth’s major characters in their signature pose and clothing.
The Classic Series is Open Edition and has been tailor made to fit beautifully on your shelf.
Please note: This product was designed and prototyped here at Weta Workshop. Images are of a pre-production prototype. Each piece is painted by hand and some variations will occur.
This figure is an Open Edition piece, meaning it is not restricted to a specific number of reproductions. However, this does not guarantee Wētā Workshop will continue to produce the statue in the future. We recommend purchasing your Open Edition statue early, to avoid disappointment. Should you miss out, please contact us to be placed on the waiting list at support@wetanz.co.nz. Demand will determine if this collectible is reproduced.
Please note: You may see a number on your shipping carton that says "0123/1,000" - this is just the serial number of your piece in its particular production run and does not mean it's a limited edition.
