TheLord of the Ringsmovies, based on the books by J.R.R Tolkien, were released in the early 2000s to astounding reviews and box office success. These movies kicked off a new wave of fantasy content, and Warner Bros Studios looked to Middle Earth for more content in this universe to bring to movie theaters. Since then, we have seen a trilogy of movies based onThe Hobbit,and Amazon released the first series of a new show calledRings of Power.
Sadly, there hasn’t been much additional movie content based on Tolkien’s Middle Earth, only a handful of video games. However, fans will be pleased to hear that a new Middle Earth movie, calledThe War of The Rohirrim, is coming out, and it will be available much sooner than people think. Here’s everything that is known about the project so far.
5It Will Be Released In 2024
The Studio Is Hoping For A December Release
The originalLord of the Ringsmovieswere released in December each year between 2001 and 2003, in the hopes of capitalizing on the Christmas holiday crowds. This decision proved successful for the movie studios involved in this project, and Warner Bros are hoping to replicate this success withThe War of the Rohirrim.
As such, fans of the franchise can get excited as the studio announced at San Diego Comic Con in 2023 that the movie would be finished and in theaters by 2023. However, the actors' strike pushed production back by a year. Since December has been a successful release window for Middle Earth movies in the past, IMDB is expecting this next movie to come out in December 2024 as well.
4It Is An Animated Film
This Movie Will Feature 2D Animation
Whenever a big movie in a franchise is set to be released, fans and press outlets are always curious about which big-name actors are attached to the project. Will fans see old faces returning to Middle Earth? That speculation hasn’t happened this time around, mostly becauseThe War of the Rohirrimisan animated movie.
Warner Bros revealed that this was an animated project back when they first announced the movie back in 2021. However, no one was sure what style of animation the film would use. Fortunately, the sleuths at theLord of the Ringsfan site, The One Ring, have been able to learn that this will be a 2D-animated movie.
3The Story Features Helm Hammerhand
One Main Character Has Been Revealed
Very few plot details have been revealed about the events inThe War of the Rohirrim. However, its title heavily suggests that the film will take place in Rohan, a kingdom in Middle Earth that is home to the horse lords that are loosely based on the Anglo-Saxons in British History. Some other details emerged later, though. The cast list, revealed by IMDB, showed that the character of Helm Hammerhand will be appearing in the movie.
Helm Hammerhand is the ninth king of Rohan according toTolkien’s books, and he ruled 183 years before the events ofThe Lord of the Rings. His most notable deed as king occurred when the great fortress of Helm’s Deep was being assaulted by Dunlendings, and he walked out into the snow alone to fight off the hoard of raiders with his bare hands. The keep was named after him. This story hints thatThe War of the Rohirrimis likely going to depict the war between Rohan and their neighboring kingdom of Dunland.
2Kenji Kamiyama Is Directing
A Great Animation Writer and Director
Shortly after the announcement ofThe War of the Rohirrimmovie, Warner Bros also announced that this huge project would be directed by Kenji Kamiyama. Anyone who is aware of Kamiyama will know that the movie is in good hands, as he is a very experienced writer and director in the field of animation.
Some of his previous works includeThe Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Napping Princess, andStar Wars: Visionson Disney+. His style is heavily influenced by traditional anime work, and so this movie’s style will most likely reflect that. Other names attached to the project include the writers Jeffrey Addiss ofThe Dark Crystal, Age of Resistancefame, and Phoebe Gittens, who helped adaptThe Lovely Bonesto the big screen in 2009.
1The Cast
Some New Names, And A Returning Actor
With much ofThe Lord of the Ringstaking place in Rohan, there are a lot of characters a new movie set in this part of Middle Earth could use. However, the cast announcement that came from Warner Bros in June 2022 only revealed that one actor fromThe Lord of the Ringswill be returning to provide a voice inThe War of the Rohirrim.
Miranda Otto played Eowyn inThe Lord of the Ringsmovies,and she is returning to voice the character inThe War of The Rohirrim. However, since this movie is set long before Eowyn is born, it is likely that this character will act as more of a narrator for the events of the movie. Other cast members for the film include Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, who is most known for his Emmy Award-winning performance inSuccession; and Shaun Dooley as Freca, who was recently in the BAFTA nominated movie,Saltburn.
