“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” Anime Feature Coming in 2024
New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation will release The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim anime feature on April 12, 2024. Variety broke the story about the upcoming film, a fresh addition to the growing list of cinematic adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s vast Middle-earth, which he explored at length and in astonishing detail in his now-iconic books “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit.”
Variety confirms that The War of the Rohirrim is set roughly two centuries before the events in “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” and will center on the Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and the creation of Helm’s Deep, the fortified gorge in the White Mountains that was a major setting in Tolkien’s work and the middle film in Peter Jackson’s LOTR trilogy The Two Towers.
TV veteran Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus) will direct, with producer Joseph Chou (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) on board. There is also a very strong connection between thte new film and Jackson’s Oscar-winning films. One of those connections is Philippa Boyens, a major LOTR contributor who won an Oscar for co-writing Jackson’s final film in his trilogy The Return of the King, as well as co-writing The Hobbit films. Her daughter Phoebe Gittins and her writing partner Arty Papageorgiou are writing The War of the Rohirrim script, based on a draft from Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews.
“I’m in awe of the creative talent who have come together to bring this epic, heart-pounding story to life, from the mastery of Kenji Kamiyama to a truly stellar cast,” Boyens told Variety.
The connection between the new anime film and Jackson’s creative team doesn’t end there. Oscar-winning makeup and visual effects artist Richard Taylor and Oscar-winning art director Alan Lee, both Lord of the Rings veterans, are also onboard. As is Tolkien illustrator John Howe.
“The Lord of the Rings films took Tolkien’s masterwork to new cinematic heights and inspired a generation,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich to Variety. “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.”
For more on all things The Lord of the Rings, check out these stories about the upcoming Amazon Prime series:
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” Trailer Reveals a True Epic
Amazon’s Mysterious “The Lord of the Rings” Series Reveals Title & Release Date in New Video
Amazon Reveals First Image From “The Lord of the Rings” Series
Featured image: Concept art for “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.” Courtesy Warner Bros.
