Lord of the Rings series found itself in hot waters after reports about its production not taking safety standards emerged.
Amazon Studios firmly quashed the rumors surrounding the Lord of the Rings series, insisting that the series’ set is safe.
On Friday, the New Zealand Herald posted an article about the three stunt workers of Lord of the Rings. It claimed that the staff have been seriously injured while on the set of the series.
The story added that two injuries that need immediate surgeries were not reported to WorkSafe, a health and safety regulator.
Amazon Studios, the producer of the $465 million-worth of series, send a statement to both NZ Herald and Variety. The company said that it observes safety protocols that are in line with WorkSafe and the country’s governmental standards.
“Amazon Studios takes the health, physical and emotional welfare of our cast and crew extremely seriously. As a top priority, the production team continues to be in full compliance with the mandated WorkSafe New Zealand Safety and Security government regulations,” the statement says, as quoted by Fox News.
What incidents happened on the set?
NZ Herald specified one instance when an incident truly happened on the set of Lord of the Rings.
Dayna Grant, reportedly, suffered a head injury in March, and the production also failed to report the stunt performer’s accident to WorkSafe. She was diagnosed with an 8mm brain aneurysm in addition to an injury to her spine. Until now, she still has not received emergency surgery.
A GiveALittle campaign currently helps Grant and her family raised the funds since Amazon Studios has not offered any help yet.
A source revealed that the head injury was initially thought to be a mild concussion. Thus, it was not a “notifiable event” in accordance with WorkSafe’s protocols.
As stated on the regulator’s website, injuries that should be reported include damage that requires a person to be admitted to the hospital. This means that someone needs to be taken to a medical facility as an inpatient, not an out-patient.
Meanwhile, the aneurysm diagnosis, reportedly, did not occur until June. Grant also worked on several projects even after sustaining the injury.
Another stunt performer named Elissa Cadwell, reportedly, got injured and received NZD 500,000 in return.
Because of these multiple accidents, the insider told Variety that the Lord of the Rings series has a massive amount of stunts. This should push Amazon Studios to perform risk analysis at every stunt site.
Featured image courtesy of Looper’s Official YouTube Channel