IGN can exclusively debut the first eight minutes of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, New Line Cinema’s upcoming anime feature film directed by Kenji Kamiyama (the Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series). The footage – first screened at New York Comic Con 2024 – can be viewed via the player above or the embed below.
The film’s voice cast is led by Brian Cox (Succession) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan. These ominous opening scenes establish a pervasive sense of dread and superstition. The following official synopsis sheds light on when exactly the film takes place in the official movie timeline and what’s at stake for the kingdom of Rohan:
“Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.”
Gaia Wise (A Walk in the Woods) voices Héra, while Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) voices Wulf. Miranda Otto – reprising her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy – serves as the film’s narrator
The stellar voice ensemble also includes Lorraine Ashbourne (Bridgerton), Yazdan Qafouri (I Came By), Benjamin Wainwright (World on Fire), Laurence Ubong Williams (Gateway), Shaun Dooley (The Witcher), Michael Wildman (Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), Jude Akuwudike (Beasts of No Nation), Bilal Hasna (Sparks) and Janine Duvitski (Benidorm).
Behind the scenes, Oscar winner Philippa Boyens – part of the screenwriting team behind the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies – produces The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim with Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou. Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Sam Register, Carolyn Blackwood, and Toby Emmerich serve as executive producers.
Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou penned the screenplay, from a story by Addiss & Matthews and Boyens, based on characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien. Other returning creative collaborators from The Lord of the Rings Trilogy include Alan Lee, Richard Taylor, and Tolkien illustrator John Howe.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a Warner Bros. Animation / Sola Entertainment production. Warner Bros. Pictures will release the film in cinemas nationwide on December 13, 2024, and internationally beginning December 11, 2024. Tickets are now on sale.
