With almost a decade’s wait, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation are set to release a new LOTR film, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The film is another adaptation of J. R. R Tolkien’s fantasy world. The last time film fantasy viewers got a sneak peek into Tolkien’s Middle-earth was in 2014, with the release of the final installment of The Hobbit trilogy. The War of the Rohirrim was already planned and is separate from the deal announced in 2023 that will lead to new live-action movies.
Unlike Tolkien’s novels’ previous six live-action film adaptations, The War of the Rohirrim is an animated film. Renowned Japanese anime director, Kenji Kamiyama, directs the anime fantasy film. The film’s screenplay is by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, with Joseph Chou as producer. With the introduction of new characters, there are major changes to the film’s production cast. However, Miranda Otto is set to reprise her role as Éowyn. Her character acts as the film’s narrator.
Is The War Of The Rohirrim Set In Peter Jackson’s Version Of Middle-earth?
The Lord Of The Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be set in Peter Jackson’s version of Middle-earth. Peter Jackson directed six previous films (Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy), with all films set in the fictional world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. While in the same continuity, The War of the Rohirrim is positioned to be a standalone story, set hundreds of years before the events in The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit movie trilogies.
This should come as no surprise since most of the cast are new and have no significant relationship between those in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, the movie will be narrated by the existing character of Éowyn and it is unclear what time period she is intended to be narrating from. Unlike other characters in the anime, Éowyn’s presence will only be felt as a narrator.
Éowyn’s character is credited as a future shieldmaiden of Rohan in the movie description. Introduced in the second installment of Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy, The Two Towers, Éowyn is already a shieldmaiden and proficient in using a sword. Éowyn’s age is speculated to be around 24 years when she makes her first appearance in The Two Towers.
When Lord Of The Rings’ 7th Canon Film Is Set
The War of the Rohirrim’s timeline sets it around 2758 in the Third Age. For better contrast, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy begins around 3018. With a 250 years timeline difference between them, War of the Rohirrim can largely be defined as a LOTR prequel.
Apart from the Elves and Witches of LOTR, no other major characters have been born in the timeline of this anime. However, despite their obvious presence in the timeline, characters like Legolas, Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf, Sauron, and Saruman will not appear in the new film. Nevertheless, the film’s plot will explore the origins of Helm’s Deep, a fortress that plays a pivotal role in J. R. R Tolkien’s books and Peter Jackson’s films.
What LOTR’s The War Of The Rohirrim Is Going To Be About
The film’s story writers, Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews adapted the story primarily from the appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Lord of the Rings. The War of the Rohirrim tells the story of the events that led to the war and the creation/introduction of Helm’s Deep. It follows the story of Helm Hammerhand, Rohan’s King crowned in 2741.
The Rohirrim, the people of Rohan, seem to have continuous conflicts with their neighbor, the Dunlendings, a tribe of wild men. Most of the conflicts arose as a resentment the Dunlendings had for the Rohirrim for encroaching and stealing their lands. These men are mentioned in Lord of the Rings to have supported Saruman’s cause. However, a full-blown war was started when Dunlendings’ King Freca demanded his son and heir, Wulf, be wed to Helm’s daughter.
As a prideful King and one not easily taken by threats, Helm kills King Freca for his audacity and alleged treasonable act. Wulf, a more daring warrior and now King of the Dunlendings, goes to war against the Rohans. Wulf successfully drives the Rohirrim from Rohan into a new fortress that’ll eventually be called Helm’s Deep. Wulf is unable to penetrate the fortress, continuing a long-drawn war between the two clans.
The ensuing Long Winter will see the Rohirrim struggle to survive in Helm’s Deep. With the death of King Helm Hammerhand, his nephew Fréaláf Hildeson became King. Fréaláf will eventually lead the Rohirrim to victory and defeat Wulf and the Dunlendings. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will give a more detailed interpretation of these events written in Tolkien’s appendices.
Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim releases on April 12, 2024.
Read Next: Wait – More Lord Of The Rings & The Hobbit? What The New Line Deal Means
Follow Us
