It seems like it’s been forever. Since first being announced in June 2021, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” has titillated fans with all the possibilities. The film is a semi-rare American anime feature from a major studio, which alone makes it a very intriguing offering from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation.
While it hasn’t been forever, the “War of Rohirrim” has faced delays due partly to the SAG-AFTRA strikes in the summer of 2023. Its original release date was set for April 12, 2024, before being pushed back to December 12. The anticipation is two-fold since it’s animated. The movie will likely draw in Tolkien fanatics, the audience from both cinematic trilogies and anime fans curious to see what filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (“Napping Princess,” “Blade Runner: Black Lotus”) has to offer.
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In addition to Kamiyama, who is the director, “War of Rohirrim” is written by screenwriting team Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Based on a story written by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. Producers include Toby Emmerich, Peter Jackson, and Fran Walsh. “Rohirrim” is based on an excerpt from Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
The voice-over cast includes Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, Gaia Wise as Hera, and Miranda Otto, who reprises her role as Eowyn from the original trilogy and provides narration for the film. The cast also includes Luke Pasqualino, Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, and Michael Wildman.
“War of Rohirrim” takes place roughly 200 years before the original “LOTR” trilogy and tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, king of Rohan, who defends his kingdom against the Dunlendings in the epic battle at Hornburg, which would later be known as Helm’s Deep.
Synopsis:
“Set 183 years before the events of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy, ‘The War of Rohirrim’ tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, a legendary king of Rohan, and his family as they defend their kingdom against an army of Dunlendings. Helm goes on to be the namesake for the stronghold Helm’s Deep.“
Warner Bros Pictures will release ‘War of Rohirrim’ in theaters nationwide on December 12.