The first trailer for The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim has arrived – you can watch it above.
From New Line and Warner Bros., The War Of The Rohirrim is an anime film set 183 years before the events of the live-action Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and is likewise based on the books of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Starring Succession‘s Brian Cox, Gaia Wise (A Walk in the Woods), Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer), LOTR franchise veteran Miranda Otto and more, the film will be released in cinemas on December 13.
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus), the film “tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm (Brian Cox) and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep.
“Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra (Wise), the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.”
Produced by Peter Jackson along with Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, the film also features the voices of Lorraine Ashbourne (Bridgerton), Yazdan Qafouri (I Came By), Benjamin Wainwright (World on Fire), Laurence Ubong Williams (Gateway), Shaun Dooley (The Witcher), Michael Wildman (Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), Jude Akuwudike (Beasts of No Nation), Bilal Hasna (Sparks) and Janine Duvitski (Benidorm).
The upcoming anime film, which connects to Jackson’s two live-action trilogies, was first announced in June 2021. In a joint statement at the time, Warner Bros’ Carolyn Blackwood and New Line’s Richard Brener said: “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.”
Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. animation added: “This will be yet another epic portrayal of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world that has never been told before.
“We’re honoured 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 project is entirely separate from Amazon Prime Video’s television series The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, which cost £336million ($465million) to make just one season.
The second season is set to arrive on the streaming service on August 29, with the first three episodes being released at once.