Everything We Know About Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim

Here’s everything we know about upcoming anime movie, Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. Though J.R.R. Tolkien is predominantly known for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, his Middle-earth mythology runs much deeper, reading something like a history book but with dragons, orcs, and dangerous jewelry. Though Amazon’s The Rings of Power is enjoying more column inches in the Lord of the Rings prequel stakes, another pre-Bilbo project is currently in development – New Line Cinema’s animated War of the Rohirrim.

New Line is, of course, the Warner-owned production studio behind Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Warner hasn’t released a Middle-earth movie since The Battle of Five Armies in 2014, and a licensing debate could be brewing as Middle-earth Enterprises prepares to sell its movies rights. Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim represents a stark departure from the Tolkien fare mainstream audiences are familiar with, but given New Line’s success previously, there’s still plenty of buzz around the upcoming animation.

Although War of the Rohirrim is still in the early stages of development, new details are beginning to emerge. What do we know about Warner’s new Lord of the Rings movie?

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim Release Date

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is now confirmed for an April 12, 2024 release. New Line’s initial announcement came in June 2021, and production on this Middle-earth anime is currently underway. Kenji Kamiyama will direct, with SOLA Digital Arts (Blade Runner: Black Lotus) providing the animation.

War Of The Rohirrim Timeline: How Long Before Lord Of The Rings It’s Set

War of the Rohirrim is set around 2758 of the Third Age, whereas The Lord of the Rings begins in 3018, putting 250 years between the upcoming anime and Peter Jackson’s iconic trilogy. Sauron is still recovering within Dol Guldur and hasn’t yet declared himself openly, even though the Dark Lord’s influence can still be felt throughout Middle-earth. Many of the Fellowship haven’t been born yet, but characters around during this era include Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, Legolas, and Saruman. Don’t necessarily expect any of those Lord of the Rings favorites to appear in War of the Rohirrim, mind. The anime story has precious little to do with Elves or wizards.

Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim Story

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim will tell the story of Helm Hammerhand, who was crowned King of Rohan in 2741. Hammerhand presided over Rohan when the realm was warring against local Dunlendings – wild mortal men who later support Saruman during The Lord of the Rings. The Dunlendings’ King Freca demanded his son, Wulf, be wed to Helm’s daughter. Not taking well to threats, Helm killed King Freca with his bare fists, triggering a war between clans. Helm’s forces retreated into the fortress that would later be dubbed Helm’s Deep in the king’s honor – the very same Helm’s Deep that famously provides the setting for The Two Towers‘ epic final battle. Hammerhand died during the siege, but his people ultimately survived because their ferocious king would assault the enemy, stealing food as Middle-earth’s Long Winter settled in. King Hammerhand’s nephew and successor, King Fréaláf, eventually repelled the Dunlending forces.

Concept art released in February 2022 shows Rohan’s capital of Edoras being assailed by an army containing Mûmakil (the Oliphaunts Samwise Gamgee is entranced by in Lord of the Rings). Edoras was invaded by King Wulf’s Dunlending forces while Helm Hammerhand was still stuck at Helm’s Deep, which is what we’re seeing here. Edoras and the Mûmakil both strongly resemble their counterparts in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and that’s because War of the Rohirrim exists within Jackson’s continuity, despite being animated instead of live-action.

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Craig Elvy
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Craig first began contributing to Screen Rant in 2016, several years after graduating college, and has been ranting ever since, mostly to himself in a darkened room. Having previously written for various sports and music outlets, Craig’s interest soon turned to TV and film, where a steady upbringing of science fiction and comic books finally came into its own.
Craig has previously been published on sites such as Den of Geek, and after many coffee-drenched hours hunched over a laptop, part-time evening work eventually turned into a full-time career covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the Starship Enterprise via the TARDIS.

Since joining the Screen Rant fold, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and mildly controversial ranking lists, but now works predominantly as a features writer.
Jim Carrey is Craig’s top acting pick and favorite topics include superheroes, anime and the unrecognized genius of the High School Musical trilogy.

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