Rings Of Power’s Major Galadriel Episode 1 Scene Was Nearly Cut From The Show

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power nearly cut a major Galadriel scene from the first episode, reveals director J.A. Bayona. Based on the beloved novel and its appendices by J.R.R. Tolkien, the series is set thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings and chronicles the relatively peaceful Second Age of Middle-earth. The prequel series, which premiered on Prime Video in September 2022, introduces a younger version of the Elf, Galadriel, played by Morfydd Clark.

During a recent interview with NME, Bayona revealed that Rings of Power episode 1 almost cut Galadriel’s boat scene for budgetary reasons, despite the show’s record-breaking budget. The scene features some expensive visual effects and Bayona says producers “tried to take it out” because they “didn’t have the money.” Bayona, who directed the first two episodes, also saved a scene from the second episode involving the sea creature that attacks Galadriel on the raft. Read his full comments below:

It wasn’t that expensive. I actually convinced them that we were going to be able to shoot that scene in the budget… I did a lot of stuff that the producers didn’t believe we were going to be able to put in those episodes and we did it on budget and on schedule… In general, I had a great experience in doing that [show]. It was a massive challenge. We had only nine months to do two hours of Lord Of The Rings fiction, you know. It had to match the expectations of the fans and the movies, but we only had nine months. You always want to give more than what you have. It’s a lot from a lot of people.

Rings Of Power Was Right To Keep The Crucial Galadriel Scenes

The Rings of Power episode 1 ending sees Galadriel sailing across the Sundering Seas to enter Valinor and live in eternal peace. As the Eleven fleet approaches and they prepare to enter the paradise, the clouds break and an ethereal light shines through. However, Galadriel changes her mind and, not wanting to abandon her search for Sauron, she jumps ship. In Rings of Power episode 2, Galadriel is swimming back to the mainland of Middle-earth when she encounters a raft of stranded humans, including Halbrand, being attacked by a giant sea creature.

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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was right to keep these two scenes, which may have been costly, but were crucial for the character of Galadriel. The first scene when she decides not to enter Valinor and jumps ship sets up her primary storyline for season 1 involving her search for Sauron. Furthermore, the scene featured some of season 1’s most impressive visual effects. The second scene is also crucial since it represents the first meeting between Galadriel and Halbrand, the latter of whom is later revealed to be Sauron himself.