FILM CREDITS:
Release date: December 13, 2024 (USA)
Director: Kenji Kamiyama
Producer: Joseph Chou
Production companies: New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Animation, Sola Digital Arts
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Adapted from: The Lord of the Rings
After the wild success of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Trilogy, it will be nearly impossible to top off the hype and dedication surrounding Tolkien’s lore. Peter Jackson’s take on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world is a grand masterpiece and a cinematic experience that can never be recreated. However, no matter how nostalgic the original movies may be, there’s so much unexplored territory and ages in Middle-earth that it would almost be a shame not to think about adapting more material.
Fortunately, the fans got the taste of the timeless fantasy story again in the shape of Prime Video’s epic prequel saga of The Rings of Power, which was set thousands of years before the events of the main movies. With the unprecedented success of the franchise, it would be a waste not to experiment with the source material, and that’s what Warner Bros. intends to do since they still hold the rights to the distributed LOTR movies. Fans of the franchise can once again experience the enormity of one of the best stories of all time but through a different medium.
The Lord of the Rings universe is being expanded with an upcoming anime project named The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. This big-budget project is set to revive the magic of Tolkien’s lore and put the limelight on the complicated history of the Kingdom of Rohan. Spinning one of the highest-grossing and critically acclaimed franchises into an anime is both a surprising and a risky step. One of the reasons why LOTR was a massive hit was its impeccable CGI for its time and the impressive combination of cinema and effects. So, the fact is still sinking in that the next big thing in the franchise is going to be an animated movie. Initially announced to be released in early 2024, Warner Bros. had to push the release date further due to delays in production because of the now-finished actors’ strike. With the movie’s development now back in full swing, fans can expect the upcoming movie to be nothing short of another superior work of art extracted from the depths of phantasm excellence.
As the name suggests, the movie will explore the mighty kingdom of Rohan, which played a critical role in the fight against Sauron in The Two Towers. Allegedly, the plot will particularly revolve around Rohan’s elite army, known as the Rohirrim. The movie is set some 183 years before the events of LOTR: The Two Towers and will focus on the legendary ninth king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand. The fans will also be treated to the history of Helm’s Deep, the iconic fortress that played a significant in aiding Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, as well as the rest of Rohan in The Two Towers against Sauron’s army. The story will also revolve around the background of the war between Rohan and the Dunlendings, a tribe of wild men living on the outskirts of Rohan. According to a panel that was held for the film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in June 2023, the conflict in the storyline will begin with a Dunlending leader named Freca. With his Rohirric blood, he will lay claim to the throne and suggest tying his son Wulf and Helm’s daughter Hera in matrimony.
