While the release of Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is still a ways away, there’s plenty of information regarding the cast, story, and production. Though J.R.R. Tolkien is predominantly known for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, his Middle-earth mythology runs much deeper, reading something like a history book but with dragons, orcs, and dangerous jewelry. Even though Amazon’s The Rings of Power is enjoying more column inches in the Lord of the Rings prequel stakes, another pre-Bilbo project is currently in development.
Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim represents a stark departure from the Tolkien fare mainstream audiences are familiar with, but given New Line’s success previously, there’s still plenty of buzz around the upcoming animation. Although Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is still a while away from its release, new details are beginning to emerge about the animated prequel film, gearing up plenty of anticipation for the next foray into Tolkien’s universe.
As the highly-anticipated animated epic moves closer to its release date, the latest news comes in the form of new images from Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. The exciting pictures reveal two classic Lord of the Rings locations as they show off some of the epic battles fans can expect to see in the new prequel. One image shows armies amassing outside of Edoras while others take viewers back to the iconic Helm’s Deep.
See the new pictures below:
Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is now confirmed for a December 13, 2024 release. New Line’s initial announcement came in June 2021, but the film faced several delays including the 2023 Hollywood strikes. SOLA Digital Arts (Blade Runner: Black Lotus) provides the animation, and illustrators Alan Lee and John Howe, who worked on the original trilogy, are part of the creative team.
New Line Cinema announced during the celebration of the 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring that it was their intention to fast-track production on the animated Lord of the Rings prequel movie. Kenji Kamiyama was tapped to direct and the official screenplay was written by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
Most of the Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim cast has been announced. The major players have all been cast, but nearly everyone else is in undisclosed roles. Coming fresh out of Succession‘s success, Brian Cox leads the voice cast as Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan. In addition, Miranda Otto will be reprising her Rings of Power role and is voicing the part of Éowyn. Gaia Wise (Silent Witness) will play Helm’s daughter Hera while Luke Pasqualino (Skins) plays Wulf, the antagonistic leader of the Dunlendings.
The known cast of The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim includes:
Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim will tell the story of Helm Hammerhand, who was crowned King of Rohan in 2741. Hammerhand presided over Rohan when the realm was warring against local Dunlendings – wild mortal men who later supported Saruman during The Lord of the Rings. The Dunlendings’ King Freca demanded his son, Wulf, be wed to Helm’s daughter. Not taking well to threats, Helm killed King Freca with his bare fists, triggering a war between clans.
Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is set around 2758 of the Third Age, whereas The Lord of the Rings begins in 3018, putting 250 years between the upcoming anime and Peter Jackson’s iconic trilogy. Sauron is still recovering within Dol Guldur, even though the Dark Lord’s influence can still be felt throughout Middle-earth. Many of the Fellowship haven’t been born yet, but characters around during this era include Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, Legolas, and Saruman. Don’t necessarily expect any of those Lord of the Rings favorites to appear in War of the Rohirrim.