It’s gearing up to become a new era of Middle Earth. Jason DeMarco, producer of the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, has confirmed on his Twitter account that the long-awaited film will debut at France’s Annecy Film Festival in June 2023. Afterward, the film will be released in cinemas on April 12, 2024.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). The film will star Brian Cox (Braveheart) as Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan; Gaia Wise as Helm’s daughter, Hera; Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) as Wulf, a Dunending lord; and Miranda Otto, who will be reprising her role as Eowyn from the critically acclaimed Peter Jackson trilogy. Otto (and Eowyn) will also serve as the narrator for the film. Also joining the cast are Lorraine Ashbourne, Laurence Ubong Williams, Yazdan Qafouri, Shaun Dooley, Benjamin Wainwright, Jude Akuwudike, Michael Wildman, Bilal Hasna, and Janine Duvitski.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is described as an original anime feature film. The film is set 183 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and follows Helm Hammerhand as he must defend himself against an army of Dunlendings. The events in the film are set to chronicle the story behind the namesake of Helms Deep, where the climactic battle is set in Two Towers. The film is produced by Joseph Chou (Blade Runner: Black Lotus), with a story by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou are credited as screenwriters. Philippa Boyens, who’s screenwriting for The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King earned an Oscar, is credited as a consulter on the project.
New Line Cinema is producing the film, partnering with Warner Bros. Animation. Sola Entertainment is handling the animation on the film (it will be their first project with hand drawn animation). The studio’s previous work involves Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars, and Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Sustainable War.
The Ongoing Expansion Of The Lord Of The Rings
When Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy graced the silver screen, generations of new audiences were introduced to the rich world of J.R.R. Tolkien. But it wasn’t until recently that any studios had considered expanding on that world. Jackson returned to Middle Earth in the 2010’s for the infamous Hobbit prequel trilogy, but after that things were fairly quiet for some time. That quiet was not for long.
Amazon debuted their own series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The show, which takes placed during the second age of Middle Earth, is set to tell the stories of the creation of the infamous rings of power, as well as the start of Sauron’s terrible reign. Since its premiere, the series has faced notable controversy for its casting actors of color and creative changes to the lore.
During production for Rings of Power, the rights to The Lord of the Rings were changed hands. Previous owner, Zaentz Co. sold the rights to Embracer Group. The new owners have already announced that they plan to produce their own projects based on the beloved characters, including Aragorn, Gandalf, and Gollum.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. still has a hold on the Peter Jackson trilogies, and therefore their own versions of certain characters. Warner Bros. has already announced earlier this year that they hope to revitalize The Lord of the Rings, rivaling big names like Star Wars. Such plans include more spinoffs and movies set in that world, starting with War of Rohirrim.