Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are turning to Middle Earth for a new cinematic adventure. The studio has officially announced The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. This brand new, anime feature is a prequel set approximately 250 years before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. It will tell the story of Helm Hammerhand, an important character from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the man who created the original The Lord of the Rings stories.

Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) is set to direct. Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) will pen the screenplay. Additionally, Philippa Boyens, who helped penned the scripts for Peter Jackson's live-action The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will serve as a consultant. Joseph Chou is producing. Carolyn Blackwood, chief operating officer at Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Richard Brener, president and chief creative officer at New Line Cinema, had this to say in a joint statement.

"All of us at New Line feel a deep affinity for the extraordinary world J.R.R. Tolkien created, so the opportunity to dive back into Middle-earth with the team at Warner Bros. Animation is a dream come true. Fans know Helm's Deep as the stage for one of the greatest battles ever put to film and, with many of the same creative visionaries involved and the brilliant Kenji Kamiyama at the helm, we couldn't be more excited to deliver a fresh vision of its history that will invite global audiences to experience the rich, complex saga of Middle-earth in a thrilling new way."

The War of the Rohirrim is said to be on the fast track at Warner Bros. and the intent is to release it in theaters around the world. While the project is still said to be in the relatively early stages, voice casting is underway, though no cast members have been revealed at this time. Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation, had this to say.

"This will be yet another epic portrayal of J.R.R. Tolkien's world that has never been told before. We're honored to partner with much of the incredible talent behind both film trilogies, along with new creative luminaries to tell this story. And so it begins."

The movie will focus on Helm Hammerhand. The figure was once the King of Rohan. He is touched on in The Two Towers as Helm's Deep, the location of the movie's climactic battle, is named after him. But this movie is poised to tell his story more completely.

This is far from the only The Lord of the Rings project currently in the works. Amazon is shooting a TV show based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. They have already made a multi-season commitment and it is expected to be one of the most expensive TV shows ever made, if not the single most expensive. We'll be sure to keep you posted as further details are made available. This news was previously reported by The Wrap.