Watch the first The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim trailer now
Warner Bros. has shared the first official trailer for the upcoming Middle-earth anime adaptation, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The movie is currently slated to hit US theaters on December 13. Footage previously debuted at the Annecy Animation Festival earlier this year, though this trailer is the general public's first look at footage of War of the Rohirrim.
The trailer has been posted to Warner Bros. Pictures' YouTube and social media pages. Fans can watch the trailer below:
To tie the upcoming anime movie into Peter Jackson's legendary film trilogy, the War of the Rohirrim trailer features a heavy dose of nostalgia for Lord of the Rings fans, with live-action footage and Howard Shore's iconic Rohan theme from the Jackson movies given prominent attention before the trailer switches to featuring animated footage by Japanese studio Sola Entertainment.
War of the Rohirrim is directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex). Notably, this is not the first time Kamiyama has worked on adapting an American franchise. Previously, he co-directed Blade Runner: Black Lotus and one of the segments of the Star Wars: Visions Anthology. Additionally, Philippa Bowens – known for her contributions to the Jackson trilogy – returns to Middle-earth as the film's producer alongside Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are also returning to Middle-earth as the film's executive producers.
What is The War of the Rohirrim about?
Based on material from the appendices including at the end of J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, The War of the Rohirrim tells the story of King of Rohan Helm Hammerhand's war against the Dunlendings led by Wulf. Brian Cox (Succession) stars as Helm alongside Gaia Wise as his daughter Héra. Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) plays Wulf. Miranda Otto will be reprising her role as Rohan princess Éowyn from the Jackson trilogy as the movie's narrator.
Warner Bros. has provided the following summary:
"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."
- Warner Bros. Pictures
The War of the Rohirrim is one of several upcoming additions to New Line and Warner's Lord of the Rings cinematic universe. In the spring of 2024, Andy Serkis — who played Gollum in the Peter Jackson trilogy and has also directed Venom: Let There Be Carnage — was announced to be directing The Hunt for Gollum. Jackson is also attached to produce The Hunt for Gollum, which is currently scheduled for a 2026 release.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim opens in US theaters on December 13, 2024 and begins opening internationally on December 11.
Keep following us here at Anime Away from as more information about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim becomes available, as well as news about other upcoming anime shows and movies.