Nearly a century since J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit was first published, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is about to bring the fantastic world that the author introduced in that seminal novel back to the big screen.
However, while still part of the cinematic franchise of Lord of the Rings movies that director Peter Jackson helmed, this new chapter in the saga of Middle Earth will be an almost entirely new experience even for the most hardcore fans because it is made in the Japanese anime style. Read on to learn even more essential facts that we know so far about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim — starting with when this journey begins.
What Is The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Release Date?
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is currently set to open in theaters on December 13, 2024. In other words, it is hitting theaters on our upcoming 2024 movies schedule a decade after the last time a Tolkien story was adapted for the big screen with 2014’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies — the third and final installment of Peter Jackson’s trilogy inspired by the 1937 novel that started it all.
However, the most recent title set in Middle Earth was the Amazon Prime original TV show, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which also has a second season that just premiered in August 2024. Not to mention, The War of the Rohirrim is not the only upcoming installment of the popular fantasy franchise, as there is also a new cinematic trilogy in development.
The First Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Trailer Teases An Epic Story Brought To Life In Beautiful Animation
Fans of Tolkien and of anime are sure to go nuts over the first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. See your for yourself by watching the clip here:
Starting off with a montage of clips from Jackson’s acclaimed trilogy, the teaser then blends into the new animated iteration of Middle Earth. The medium really makes the intense conflicts and daring adventure that Helm, Héra, and other characters are bound to face stand out as something captivatingly picturesque.
What The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Is About
As we mentioned, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is being presented in an anime-style and will be the first animated film based on Tolkien’s Middle Earth saga since Ralph Bakshi’s feature-length LOTR trilogy adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy from 1978. The movie is also a prequel to Peter Jackson’s original LOTR movies, taking place nearly two centuries earlier when an attack by an enemy lord forces Helm Hammerhand and his people into a violent conflict.
It is Helm’s daughter, Héra, who comes to lead the resistance against their deadly enemy, which leads to the creation of the stronghold depicted in The Two Towers known as “Helm’s Deep.” In an interview with the LOTR blog The One Ring, producer Philippa Boyens said the film is, “not about the Ring, it’s not about the Dark Lord. All of that is very peripheral to the story.”
The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim Voice Cast Is Led By Brian Cox
The Lord of the Rings movies have always had the advantage of a talented ensemble of actors to bring Tolkien’s most iconic characters to life — such as Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf the Grey. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim cast will boast the same level of esteem. Take a look at the stars of the film (some of which have currently undisclosed roles) below.
Brian Cox (Helm Hammerhand)
Lending his voice to the lead role of Helm Hammerhand is Succession actor Brian Cox. Boyens shared with The One Ring that just hearing her friends describe his performance in a 1987 stage production of Titus Andronicus led her to consider casting him as the ninth King of Rohan.
Gaia Wise (Hera Hammerhand)
Starring as Hammerhand’s daughter, Héra, is Gaia Wise, who made her acting debut in a small role alongside her mother, Emma Thompson, in 2008’s Last Chance Harvey. She reunited with Thompson seven years later for A Walk in the Woods and went on to make guest appearances in British crime dramas Silent Witness and The Chelsea Detective.
Luke Pasqualino (Wulf)
The main antagonist of the story is named Wulf, who is voiced by Luke Pasqualino. The English actor is actually a veteran of the fantasy genre, having starred on Netflix’s Shadow and Bone, and is also known for his role as D’Artagnan on BBC’s The Musketeers and for Crackle’s series adaptation of Snatch.
Shaun Dooley (Freca)
Wulf’s father, Freca, will be voiced by Shaun Dooley, which he personally confirmed on X. The Saltburn actor is already well-versed in the high fantasy genre from his role in Netflix’s The Witcher cast as King Foltest of Temeria and multiple roles in Elden Ring – a video game created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin.
Laurence Ubong Williams (Fréaláf Hildeson)
Laurence Ubong Williams is voicing Helm’s nephew, Fréaláf Hildeson. The actor has appeared in guest roles in various acclaimed TV shows, including AMC’s Humans and Peacock’s The Capture. He was also in the HBO original film, My Dinner with Hervé, in 2018 and a small 2021 horror film called Gateway.
Miranda Otto (Éowyn)
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim cast also includes a veteran of the franchise: Miranda Otto. She is reprising her role as Éowyn but, this time, as the narrator of the story.
Christopher Lee (Saruman)
How could it be that Sir Christopher Lee is reprising his role as Saruman in the Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim cast nine years after he passed away? Philippa Boyens explained to The One Ring at New York Comic Con that they were able to take the audio from unused footage he shot for The Hobbit trilogy that worked perfectly for the story of the new film. She added that, while they could have found a talented impressionist, she believes Lee would have wanted it this way.
Other The War Of Rohirrim Cast Members
The War of the Rohirrim cast members with currently undisclosed roles include Bridgerton cast member Lorraine Ashbourne (who is also married to Gollum actor Andy Serkis), Yazdan Qafouri from Netflix’s I Came By, Belgravia: The Next Chapter star Benjamin Wainwright, and Michael Wildman, who played a centaur in the Harry Potter movies. Jude Akuwudike from Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation, Bilal Hasna (known from Hulu’s Extraordinary), and Janine Duvitski (who made her feature debut in an adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s poem, Jabberwocky), also lend their voices.
The Movie Is Not Yet Rated
Just like its live-action predecessors, the MPA has branded The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim with a PG-13 rating for strong violence. We expected that outcome but, being made in the animated format, we were open to the possibility of a PG rating, unless this war turned out to be as grisly as it apparently is.
The Film Is 150 Minutes Long
Also much like its live-action predecessors,The War of the Rohirrim surpasses the two-hour mark and, to be precise, is two hours and 30 minutes in length. Who knows if we will see an extended edition get released at some point down the line?
Veteran Animator Kenji Kamiyama Is Directing
In charge of reinterpreting the world of Tolkien’s work with a whole new look is esteemed anime veteran Kenji Kamiyama, who directs The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Variety reported that, at the Annecy Film Festival, Jason DeMarco said that when making the film, Kamiyama’s vision and style came first and simply making an “animated Peter Jackson movie” was never the intention.
The legendary artist has a career that spans decades and includes one of greatest anime movies of all time, 1988’s Akira. More recently, he worked on an episode of the Star Wars anthology TV show spin-off, Visions; wrote and directed Adult Swim’s animated prequel series to Blade Runner, Black Lotus (which also starred Brian Cox); and served as head writer on Netflix’s hit anime series, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.
Peter Jackson Is An Executive Producer
Having helped widen interest in Tolkien’s work with his live-action adaptation of the Lord of the Rings saga, it is pleasing to know that Peter Jackson is serving as an executive producer for The War of the Rohirrim, alongside his longtime collaborator, Fran Walsh. According to Screen Daily, the Academy Award-winning New Zealand native’s involvement with the animated film was announced at Annecy.
Someone who also has close ties to Middle Earth is the aforementioned executive producer, Philippa Boyens. The fellow New Zealand native is also a frequent collaborator of Jackson’s — most notably as one of his co-writers for the LOTR trilogy and the Hobbit movies. She also worked with Jackson and Walsh on the screenplay for the 2005 King Kong remake, 2009’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s novel, The Lovely Bones, and 2018’s Mortal Engines.
Considering all of the talent involved with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and fans’ reported response to its exclusive first look at the Annecy Animation Festival, this highly anticipated movie could still be something really precious.
