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.
THE BALROG
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.
FEATURES:
- Made from high-quality polystone;
- Initial clay sculpt by Victor Gully, digitally enlarged by Steven Saunders, then touched up in clay once more by Shaun Bolton;
- 12” / 30.5cm tall;
- Creative paint scheme to bring the Balrog’s flames to life;
- Scaled to be displayed alongside the rest of the Classic Series line.
