JRR Tolkien’s fantasy universe does not stop growing. On the one hand, Warner Bros. Discovery is in the early stages of developing new Lord of the Rings films with the aim of exploring “stories yet to be told, and we already know that Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (title not yet official) directed and starring Andy Serkis will be one of them. But there is also news about the series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, whose second season already has a premiere date of 2024, specifically next August 29.
However, although the film projects for the saga that Warner is preparing will not arrive until at least 2026, in 2024 we will see the fantasy universe again on the big screen with another feature film that has already become one of the most anticipated releases of the year: The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim, a new film in the franchise, this time animated, which is set 250 years before the events that occurred in the original trilogy and whose release is guaranteed by the end of the year.
First announced in 2021, the fantasy adventure The War of the Rohirrim arrives three years later to tell the story of the powerful King of Roham called Helm Hammerhand, who built Helm’s Deep, and especially the battle that helped shape Middle Earth as we knew it in Peter Jackson’s trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim Release date
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim will be released on December 13, 2024, as set by Warner Bros.
This movie War of the Rohirrim, announced in 2021, is something completely new in the world of Tolkien adaptations: for the first time, the Middle-earth adventure is an anime, that is, a movie Japanese animation, although at the same time it is also an American and British co-production. The animated adventure has nothing to do with the new live-action films of The Lord of the Rings characters announced in 2023 and whose status has just been updated.
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim: What place does it occupy in the franchise?
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, like Peter Jackson’s films, but about 200 years before Frodo’s time.
That is, the film is also a prequel to Tolkien’s most famous work, but not as distant as the Amazon series The Rings of Power, which is set in the Second Age, thousands of years before the original story.
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim: What story does the new film address?
The film’s focus is on the warrior horseman people of Rohan, whose residents are also known as the Rohirrim. We are, therefore, before the ancestors of Théoden, Éomer, and Éowyn.
King Helm Hammerhand is currently on the throne of Rohan. In Helm’s time, a superior force of the Dunlending people attacks Rohan, led by one Lord Wulf, who seeks the total destruction of Rohan as revenge for the death of his father. Hera, Helm’s daughter, leads the resistance against this attack, while the Rohirrim must seek refuge in the fortress of Hornburg, which is located in the gorge that later became known as Helm’s Deep.
Like season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The War of the Rohirrim will once again see a reunion with Olifantes. This time, the huge creatures fight again on the opposite side.
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim: First Images
There are currently no official images for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, but there is concept art that illustrates the scale at which the animated film wants to come to life in Tolkien’s world:
At the annual Annecy Film Festival, which focuses on animated films, the first epic scenes were screened in the summer of 2023 and provoked euphoric reactions praising “the 100% consistency with the original trilogy.”
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim: team and new cast of the film
Behind the cameras, the new Lord of the Rings team is led by director Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045).
Additionally, War of the Rohirrim not only visually adheres to Peter Jackson’s version of The Lord of the Rings but also has several creative people from the ancient fantasy trilogy on board. In addition to film companies New Line Cinema and Warner Bros., also returning:
- Philippa Boyen, co-writer of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is now executive producer.
- Boyen’s daughter, Phoebe Gittins, played a hobbit girl in the first Lord of the Rings film, but now as an adult, she is also a screenwriter of the story alongside Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, and Arty Papageorgiou.
- Oscar winner Richard Taylor provided makeup and effects with his Weta Workshop for Peter Jackson and is again part of the creative team.
- Tolkien illustrators Alan Lee and John Howe were drawing consultants on Peter Jackson’s films and are now collaborators on the anime.
- The music is composed by Steve Gallagher, who was already on board with Peter Jackson as music editor.
Regarding the voice cast that gives life to the characters, some of the new protagonists of the animated epic of The Lord of the Rings are dubbed by famous actors. The most notable signing is Miranda Otto, who returns to her old role in The Lord of the Rings, lending her voice to Eowyn while also being part of the voice cast: Brian Cox (Success) as Reu by Rohan Helm Hammerhand; Gaia Wise as Hera, Helm’s daughter; and Luke Pasqualino as Dunlander leader Wulf, among others.
