By 
Legendary anime director Kenji Kamiyama joins the Lord Of The Rings universe with the epic 1st trailer for prequel film Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim.
183 years before the One Ring is found by a mere hobbit, the fearsome King Of Rohan Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) meets a dangerous new foe that threatens to wipe out peace in Middle-Earth. His name is Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), a crazed lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father.
Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim (2024) – source: New Line Cinema
With war on the horizon, Helm’s daughter Hera (Gaia Wise) will be thrust into the center of an uneasy alliance between Rohan and his fellow rulers, and must gather the strength to lead her father’s armies into the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a battlefield that will be one day called “Helm’s Deep”.
The LOTR franchise has historically been the benchmark for quality fantasy, since Peter Jackson’s films in the early 2000s. However, following The Hobbit and Amazon’s middling prequels, the IP is arguably at its least prestigious in the minds of the public. Opening up the world as a place for different creators to play in offers the franchise a sense of liveliness and unpredictability not seen in other franchises (where continuity and cohesiveness are prized).
Kamiyama’s incredible filmography speaks for itself, with his simple yet grand animation being a perfect fit for this story. The writing feels solid, the cast is top-notch, and the characters feel three-dimensional. While not reinventing the wheel of fantasy narratives, War Of The Rohirrim looks to be a perfect marriage of story and medium: telling a classic hero’s journey narrative, in a style that highlights both the timelessness and epicness of the story.
Warner Bros.’ decision to give a 2D anime film a wide-release is a bold one in 2024, but no one will be able to accuse them of pushing out a subpar product with this one.
Produced by Peter Jackson and directed by auteur Kenji Kamiyama, War Of The Rohirrim will release worldwide theatrically on December 11, 2024. The series stars an ensemble cast led by Brian Cox.
Does content like this matter to you?
Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema – get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.
