Today we take you on an epic journey through Middle-earth, as we talk about the next movie from the fantasy world: "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim". The animated film is set to open a new chapter in the popular franchise and takes place far before the well-known trilogy. It's high time we had a closer look at the project. We hope you enjoy our new Original!

Plot

"The War of the Rohirrim" takes us to an era of conflict and heroism, in which Helm Hammerhand plays a crucial role as the ninth king of Rohan. Helm reigns during a time in which the realm is fighting against the Dunlendings - a notably fierce race that later supports Saruman during the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Their leader, lord Freca, requires Helm's daughter, Héra, to marry his son, Wulf. An offense that will eventually result in a bloody war between the clans.

In this conflict, an important factor will be a fortress that fans of "The Lord of the Rings" will probably be familiar with: It will later be known as Helm's Deep - the scene of an epic battle in "The Two Towers".

But the film does not revolve around the two kings only: their children are also pivotal to the story. On the one side, there's the wild ruler's daughter Héra, who grows up in the middle of the war and has to become a fearless warrior. On the other side there's Wulf, the heir to the throne of Dunland: muscular, armed with an axe and with a scarred face: the main villain of the film.

At the past film festival in Annecy, France, a version of the movie was already shown in June, which is why some details about "The War of the Rohirrim" are known. For example, the culture of the horsemen will be explored in more detail, which is based primarily on war. Family power structures and fights are the main focus, where honor and loyalty are always considered more valuable than wealth and material possessions. However, supernatural ghost stories should also find their place in the story: For sure a topic where the animations can show off their full potential.

So far released concept art also features oliphaunts and orcs surrounding Edoras. There are images of Isengard surrounded by tents and wildfires, as well as many background images of Meduseld. So we can likely expect some spectacular scenes in the finished film.

By the way: Despite the fact that the film is animated and Peter Jackson is not involved, the film exists within Jackson's universe - which is certainly pleasing news for fans of the franchise who were rather disappointed by Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" series "The Rings of Power" - which had comparatively little to do with the cult films.

Production

Production of "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" was taken over by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation and has already been in progress for almost two years. The movie is directed by the renowned anime director Kenji Kamiyama, known for his work on popular animes such as "Ghost in the Shell" and "Ultraman". This is his second collaboration with Warner Bros. after previously developing the anime series "Blade Runner: Black Lotus".

But don't worry, the recognition value of the old movies will not be completely lost: Peter Jackson's version definitely served as visual inspiration for many scenes in the new film. Adapting the world for the new animation style was one of the crew's biggest challenges. They worked closely with Daniel Falkner, the art director of the live-action movies. He helped the team find old models from the original movies and explained their backgrounds.

Cast

The cast of "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" includes a mix of well-known and lesser-known names: Brian Cox, known from the series "Succession", will give his voice to King Helm Hammerhand. Luke Pasqualino, best known for his role as Freddie McClair in the series "Skins", will take on the role of Wulf. Likewise joining the cast is Shaun Dooley, whose voice we recognize from the video game "Elden Ring". He will voice Wulf's father Freca. Similar to "The Fellowship of the Ring", the movie starts with an off-screen narration: In this case we hear Éowyn, again played by Miranda Otto.

"The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" promises to open an exciting new chapter in the story of Middle-earth. With its dramatic plot, original animation style and talented voice actors, this movie will hopefully satisfy both old and new fans of "The Lord of the Rings". The movie will be released in theaters on April 12, 2024 - we hope to have a first teaser trailer within the next few months.