“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” — the original anime feature from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation — is set for release on April 12, 2024, from Warner Bros. Pictures.
Set approximately two centuries before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” “The War of the Rohirrim” will explore the endeavors of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and the production of Helm’s Deep, the fortress highlighted in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.”Alongside the release date, Warner Bros. shared some concept art from the film, created by Weta Workshop.
Joseph Chou (Blade Runner: Black Lotus) will produce, with a script from Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, based on a script from Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews — the same team who created The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. John Howe and Richard Taylor will return to The Lord of the Rings creative team, Warner Bros. said. Animation work started last year, Warner Bros. added, with voice casting “to be announced imminently.” Warner Bros. Chairman Toby Emmerich said,
“It’s a gift to be able to revisit Middle-earth with many of the same creative visionaries and the talented Kenji Kamiyama at the helm. This will be an epic portrayal unlike anything audiences have ever seen.”
As can be seen in this exclusive first look at conceptual art from the film, “The War of the Rohirrim” likewise drawing quite a bit of its innovative DNA from Jackson’s six elements set in Middle-earth. Philippa Boyens, who was part of the Oscar-winning screenwriting team for “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, is executive producing the film. Phoebe Gittins, Boyens’ daughter, and writing partner Arty Papageorgiou are penning the screenplay based on a script from Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. And the creative team includes Richard Taylor (who won Oscars for makeup and visual effects for “The Lord of the Rings”), Alan Lee (who won an Oscar for art direction for “LOTR”), and Tolkien illustrator John Howe.
The last surprisingly realistic Tolkien film, 2014’s “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” netted $940 million around the world; every one of the six movies has procured more than $5.8 billion. “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” won 11 Oscars, including best picture, tying the record for a solitary film.
