"The War of the Rohirrim": First trailer for the Lord of the Rings anime
Before the War of the Ring, there was another: the legendary Battle of Helm's Deep. This is now getting its own film - and the first trailer promises epic battles in anime style.
Spears will shatter, shields will splinter. It will be a day of the sword, King Théoden calls out to his Rohirrim: a day of blood before the sun rises. Then, with renewed courage in their hearts, the most feared horse riders of Middle-earth ride towards their certain death - and the end of the world.
The War of the Ring. Almost everyone knows this story - and the role of the brave riders of Rohan in it. But not how the people of Rohan were on the brink of annihilation almost 200 years earlier. An anime film about it has been in development for three years. Now it's finally here, the first trailer:
At that time, 183 years before "The Lord of the Rings", it was Wulf, a cunning and unscrupulous Dunlander, who, after the death of his father, vengefully invaded the land of Rohan as far as Edoras with fire and sword. In the end, he even drove the legendary King Helm Hammerhand - voiced in the original by "Succession" star Brian Cox - back to the old fortress of Hornburg. Cut off from any outside help, the people put up a last, merciless resistance.
The film is due to be released in the USA on 13 December 2024, but one day earlier.
From Jackson to Kamiyama: Middle-earth rediscovered
The legend of Helm Hammerhand is only roughly outlined in Tolkien's "appendices" to the "Lord of the Rings" books. Accordingly, the animated film is set to reveal many new, unknown details. For example, how Héra, Helm's daughter, finds the courage to lead her people against an overpowering enemy in the midst of snow and steel.
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
"The War of the Rohirrim" is not directed by Peter Jackson, but by Japanese director Kenji Kamiyama, also known for anime such as "The Ninth Jedi" from "Star Wars: Visions" and "Ghost in the Shell". Before his directing career, Kamiyama worked as an animator on classics such as "Jin-Roh" and "Akira". However, Jackson oversaw the production of "War of the Rohirrim" as executive producer.
Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews are responsible for the screenplay. The duo most recently employed on the acclaimed Netflix series "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance". They will be supported by Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote all three "Lord of the Rings" films and even won an Oscar for the third instalment, "The Return of the King". <p
I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.»