Another Lord of the Rings feature is in the works, but this one will be a little different. New Line and Warner Bros. will reportedly create The War of the Rohirrim, an animated feature in the LOTR universe.
The War of the Rohirrim takes place roughly 250 years before the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It focuses on a character from the book’s appendix, Helm Hammerhand, the ninth King of Rohan. The anime feature will explore the untold story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep. It’s meant to serve as a companion piece to the main trilogy.
(Also, for those keeping track, The War of the Rohirrim will take place during Middle-earth’s third age. Meanwhile, Amazon’s upcoming LOTR series takes place during the second age.)
Philippa Boyens, Oscar-winning writer of Return of the King, will serve as a consultant on the new project. At this time, LOTR alums Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are not currently involved.
Kenji Kamiyama will direct The War of the Rohirrim. He previously worked on anime projects like Blade Runner: Black Lotus and the TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. The script comes from Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance).
“All of us at New Line feel a deep affinity for the extraordinary world J.R.R. Tolkien created, so the opportunity to dive back into Middle-earth with the team at Warner Bros. Animation is a dream come true,” read a statement from WB COO Carolyn Blackwood and New Line CCO Richard Brener. “Fans know Helm’s Deep as the stage for one of the greatest battles ever put to film and, with many of the same creative visionaries involved and the brilliant Kenji Kamiyama at the helm, we couldn’t be more excited to deliver a fresh vision of its history that will invite global audiences to experience the rich, complex saga of Middle-earth in a thrilling new way.”
Deadline reports The War of the Rohirrim is being fast-tracked by the studio, with voice casting currently underway. Sola Entertainment will handle the animation work.
Source: Deadline
