Warner Bros. Animation, New Line Cinema, and Sola Entertainment previewed 20 minutes of their upcoming anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, garnering enthusiastic applause during the Annecy Animation Festival.
Director Kenji Kamiyama shared that his inspiration came not just from J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, but also from the films by Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, who were announced as executive producers for this movie.
Storyline set in the past
The narrative unfolds nearly 200 years before Bilbo Baggins encounters the One Ring. It centers around the House of Helm Hammerhand, King of Rohan, voiced by Brian Cox. The plot features his daughter, Princess Hera, voiced by Gaia Wise. A dispute in a council meeting sparks a vengeful response from Wulf, a ruthless Dunlending lord.
Miranda Otto returns as Éowyn
Miranda Otto reprises her role as Éowyn from ‘Lord of the Rings’ as the movie’s narrator. During an interview with Inside the Magic, she mentioned how connected she feels to Middle-earth, saying Middle-earth has never left me
.
Makers emphasize originality
Producers Philippa Boyens (who also co-wrote the story), Jason DeMarco, and Joseph Chou joined Kamiyama in conversation with Andy Serkis. DeMarco highlighted that they aimed to create a distinct Kamiyama film rather than mimicking Peter Jackson’s style. Kamiyama expressed that there is such power to the story
, a sentiment echoed by Serkis who enthused, The fans are going to go nuts for this
.
Insight from cast and crew
Andy Serkis shared that his experiences working on ‘Lord of the Rings’ were incredibly rewarding. Reflecting on Sean Bean’s preparation for a scene, Peter Jackson remarked, That entire speech that Sean had to deliver at the Council of Elrond was written the night before
, emphasizing the ad-hoc nature of some moments during filming.
Anticipation builds for release
The anime style promises a fresh visual take while staying true to epic storytelling. With a theatrical release in North America set for Dec. 13 and international openings beginning Dec. 11, The War of the Rohirrim aims to capture both new audiences and loyal fans.
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