The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

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The Lord of the Rings:
The War of the Rohirrim
Official logo
Directed byKenji Kamiyama
Screenplay by
  • Phoebe Gittins
  • Arty Papageorgiou
Story by
  • Jeffrey Addiss
  • Will Matthews
Based onThe Lord of the Rings
by J. R. R. Tolkien
Produced by
Starring
Music byStephen Gallagher
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • December 13, 2024 (2024-12-13)
Countries
  • United States
  • Japan
LanguageEnglish

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an upcoming

Dunlendings
.

Development was being fast-tracked by June 2021, when the film was officially announced, to prevent the studios from losing the film adaptation rights for Tolkien's novels. Kamiyama was involved by then, as were producer

Sola Entertainment provided the traditional 2D animation, taking visual inspiration from Jackson's films. The cast was revealed in June 2022, including Otto reprising her role as Éowyn
from the film trilogy.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on December 13, 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Premise

Set 183 years before the events of the

Helm's Deep.[1]

Voice cast

  • Helm Hammerhand:
    The hot-tempered king of Rohan who attempts to protect his people.[1][3] Director Kenji Kamiyama was intrigued by the story of Helm's lineage ending, seeing it as a lesson about responsibility and power.[4]
  • Gaia Wise as Hèra:
    The     tomboy-ish daughter of Helm who helps defend their people.[1][2] Wise felt the character was closer to the female heroes from Hayao Miyazaki's anime films such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) than Eowyn and Arwen, the female heroes in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy. While those characters are "fully formed women", Wise said Hèra was rebellious and complicated.[4]
  • Dunlendings who seeks revenge against Rohan for the death of his father.[1] Unlike previous antagonists in the franchise, Wulf is just a human rather than an evil wizard or dark lord. Producer Philippa Boyens felt this made him more interesting and more dangerous, and said the character was relevant to "a lot of the crises that we're facing today".[4]
  • Miranda Otto as Éowyn: A future shieldmaiden of Rohan who narrates the film[1]
  • Laurence Ubong Williams as Fréaláf Hildeson: Helm's nephew and successor to the throne of Rohan[5]
  • Shaun Dooley as Freca: Wulf's father, a Dunlending lord with Rohirric blood who attempts to claim the throne[2][5]

Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna, and Janine Duvitski have been cast in undisclosed roles.[1]

Production

Development

Producer Philippa Boyens, who previously co-wrote the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, at the Annecy Film Festival in June 2023 where she promoted the film

In June 2021, during 20th anniversary celebrations for the beginning of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003),[6] film studio New Line Cinema announced that it was fast-tracking development of an anime prequel film with Warner Bros. Animation.[7] This was intended to prevent Warner Bros. and New Line from losing the film adaptation rights for J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit novels.[8] The new film, titled The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, was being directed by Kenji Kamiyama and produced by Joseph Chou, both returning from Warner Bros.' anime television series Blade Runner: Black Lotus (2021–22).[6] It is connected to the film trilogy's continuity,[6] and co-writer Philippa Boyens returned from those films as a consultant and producer.[7][9] She said an animated expansion of the franchise had been discussed for years before they settled on making an anime film.[2] Jason DeMarco, Warner Bros.' senior vice president of anime, was also producing the film.[9] The film trilogy's director, Peter Jackson, and co-writer Fran Walsh were not officially involved in the new film,[6] but Boyens used them as a sounding board for ideas,[3] and they were being credited as executive producers on the project by June 2024. Other executive producers include Sam Register, Carolyn Blackwood, and Toby Emmerich.[10]

Writing

Several story ideas were suggested for the first anime film based on Tolkien's novels, but Boyens insisted that they focus on the kingdom of

appendices of The Lord of the Rings, specifically the "House of Eorl" section in Appendix A which details the history of Rohan's rulers. The producers chose to tell this story because its setting earlier in the timeline avoids the villain Sauron and the influence of his One Ring,[2] and because they felt the intensity of the conflict and the way it escalates made it the right choice for a film adaptation.[11] Boyens said it allowed them to tell a tragic story about the "wreckage of war", and examine ideas of honor, revenge, family, and resilience.[2][3][11]

Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews were hired to write the initial screenplay.

Dunlendings who invade Rohan do so based on historical grievances was an element that particularly resonated with the director.[3]

The inclusion of giant elephant-like mûmakil in

Corsairs of Umbar, another enemy of Gondor.[3][12] As development of the script progressed, the writers decided to introduce a narrator who would be telling the film's story as part of an oral tradition. The character Éowyn from the main events of The Lord of the Rings was chosen. Boyens said having a familiar voice in the film helped the writers with their work. She added that the narration gives context for fans of the previous films who are unfamiliar with Tolkien's wider Middle-earth history, and she felt that framing the story as an oral tradition was fitting because it was being constructed based on fragments and references in the source material.[3]

Tolkien gave details on the deaths of Helm and his sons, Haleth and Hama, but the fate of his unnamed daughter is left unclear.[3] The producers decided to expand on her role, making her the protagonist of the film.[2] The first name suggested for the character did not start with "H", but Boyens felt it should start with the same letter as Helm, Haleth, and Hama.[3] She asked Walsh for ideas and the latter suggested they name her after Hera Hilmar, the Icelandic actress who starred in their film Mortal Engines (2018).[11] For The War of the Rohirrim, the name is spelled "Hèra" based on Old English. It was not intended to be a reference to the goddess Hera of Ancient Greek religion.[3] The writers did not want to completely invent her characterization themselves, and Kamiyama suggested they take inspiration from the historical female leader Æthelflæd since she played a similar role to Hèra and Tolkien was himself inspired by such historical figures.[2][3] Though the character can fight and ride horses like the men of Rohan, the writers were not interested in depicting her as a "warrior princess" which they felt had become a common trope. Instead, they focused her character arc on the choices she makes and the choices that others make which impact her life.[11] They also took inspiration from Tolkien's other female characters, including Éowyn.[13] Another character that was expanded on for the film is Fréaláf Hildeson, Helm's nephew who eventually inherits the throne. Only Fréaláf's mother is known, creating the possibility that his father is not Rohirric and is instead from a neighboring land. Boyens felt going in this direction made Fréaláf's ascension to the throne feel unlikely to audiences, and helped differentiate him from the Lord of the Rings character Éomer who has a similar story.[11]

Casting

Casting for the film began by the time of its announcement in June 2021,[7] and details on the cast were expected to be revealed soon after February 2022.[14] That June, Brian Cox was revealed to be voicing Helm, with Gaia Wise voicing Hèra, and Miranda Otto reprising her role as Éowyn from Jackson's films.[1] Cox was previously part of the English voice cast for Black Lotus, and Boyens felt he was an appropriate choice for Helm based on his performance in a 1987 stage production of William Shakespeare's play Titus Andronicus.[3] She also praised Wise for bringing a "fiery-ness" to her performance without making Hèra sound petulant.[3]

Also revealed to be cast in the film in June 2022 were

Dunlending leader Wulf, Laurence Ubong Williams as Fréaláf Hildeson, Shaun Dooley as Wulf's father Freca, and Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna, and Janine Duvitski in undisclosed roles.[1][5]

Animation and design

Director Kenji Kamiyama at the Annecy Film Festival in June 2023 where he promoted the film

Helm's Deep, and the fortress of Isengard. Old models from Wētā's archives were used as inspiration for some designs.[2]

Sola Entertainment began work on the film's animation by the time of its announcement in June 2021.[7] A unique approach was used to create the film's traditional 2D animation: actors performed every scene of the film using motion capture, which was translated into 3D animation within Unreal Engine's real-time game engine; the 3D environment was used to determine the film's camera angles and movements, and this was translated into the final 2D animation. Kamiyama did not want to use rotoscoping to trace over the 3D scenes. Instead, he asked the artists to use the 3D version as reference when creating their traditional 2D drawings. This process created more fluid movements but maintained the feeling of hand-drawn animation. One of the biggest challenges for the animation team was the large number of horses in the film; horses are important in Rohan culture but they are also notoriously difficult to animate.[2] By June 2024, the film was two-and-a-half hours long after originally being envisioned as a 90 minute film.[15] More than 60 companies had been brought in to help finish the animation work.[10]

Music

Stephen Gallagher was revealed to be composing the score for the film in February 2023. Gallagher was the music editor on the Hobbit film trilogy, working closely with composer Howard Shore,[16] and his music for The War of the Rohirrim continues Shore's style including reprising the Rohan theme from the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.[2] Recording for the score took place with an orchestra at Angel Recording Studios in March 2024.[17]

Marketing

A first look at the film's concept art, showing the influence of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy on its visuals, was revealed in February 2022.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (2026). Kamiyama, Boyens, Chou, and DeMarco again discussed the project and showed 20 minutes of completed footage from the start of the film.[10][15]

Release

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on December 13, 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures.[20] It was originally scheduled for release on April 12, 2024,[21] before it was delayed to the December 2024 date due to other Warner Bros. schedule changes caused by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 15, 2022). "'The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim': Anime Voice Cast Counts Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, Miranda Otto & More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Motamayor, Rafael (June 13, 2023). "The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of Rohirrim Gives Us Middle-Earth Anime, And We Can't Wait [Annecy 2023]". /Film. Archived from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  3. ^
    TheOneRing.net. June 28, 2022. Archived
    from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Holub, Christian (June 11, 2024). "Meet the 'rebellious' heroine and 'fascinating' villain of 'Lord of the Rings' anime prequel". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  5. ^
    TheOneRing.net. June 16, 2022. Archived
    from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 10, 2021). "The Lord Of The Rings Goes On: Anime Film The War Of The Rohirrim In Works At New Line". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d Vary, Adam B. (June 10, 2021). "Lord of the Rings Anime Feature Fast-Tracked by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation". Variety. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  8. ^ Hibberd, James (February 28, 2023). "'Lord of the Rings': Amazon, Warner Bros. Ready for Tolkien Battle". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema are set to Reunite with the Oscar Winning "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" Team Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens for Two New Feature Films From J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth" (Press release). Burbank, California: Warner Bros. Discovery. May 9, 2024. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d Taylor, Drew (June 11, 2024). "Peter Jackson Joins The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim". TheWrap. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h Nerd of the Rings (February 27, 2024). Philippa Boyens talks War of the Rohirrim! First chat with writers of new LOTR film! (video). Retrieved May 10, 2024 – via YouTube.
  12. TheOneRing.net. February 18, 2022. Archived
    from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  13. ^ Annecy International Animation Film Festival (June 15, 2023). The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – Philippa Boyens & Kenji Kamiyama - Interview (EN) (video). Retrieved May 10, 2024 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ a b c Vary, Adam B. (February 14, 2022). "Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Anime Feature Set for April 2024 Release by Warner Bros. (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  15. ^ a b Gajewski, Ryan (June 11, 2024). "Andy Serkis Brings 'Lord of the Rings' Anime Movie's First Footage to Annecy". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  16. TheOneRing.net. February 7, 2023. Archived
    from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  17. ^ Gallagher, Stephen [@SteveG_Music] (March 11, 2024). "What a stupendously excellent day. What incredible players!!! [Pictured: Stephen Gallagher, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Angel Studios, Conductor: Harry Brokensha, 11 March 2024 10–1, 2–5]" (Tweet). Retrieved May 9, 2024 – via Twitter.
  18. ComicBook.com. Archived
    from the original on June 13, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  19. ^ Hopewell, John (June 16, 2023). "'Fionna and Cake,' 'Gumball,' 'Batman: Caped Crusader,' 'War of the Rohirrim' Dazzle at Annecy". Variety. Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  20. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 24, 2023). "'Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim' Release Delayed Until December 2024". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  21. ^ Couch, Aaron (February 14, 2022). "Lord of the Rings Anime Movie Sets 2024 Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.

External links