The Lord of the Rings is getting the animated treatment (again) with a new film titled The War of the Rohirrim, and honestly, this is just what Middle-earth was missing. After all, the first adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary work were animated features, so this is the franchise coming full circle, or as George Lucas would say, "It's like poetry... It rhymes."
The standalone anime feature is said to focus on one of the most legendary figures in Middle-earth history, the ninth King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand. The film will expand on the story of the fortress that bears King Hammerhand's name, Helm's Deep.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be directed by Kenji Kamiyama, who started as an animator in such classic films as Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, and Akira. He's best known for directing the cult classic anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (the good one, not the Netflix one). Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (the incredibly underrated The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) will write the screenplay, while Oscar-winner Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote the original Lord of the Rings movies, will return to consult on the project.
Warner Bros. Animation and New Line Cinema are putting a lot of weight on this project, as the press release states that it is "being fast-tracked for the big screen." Indeed, animation work and voice casting is already underway, with the former being at studio Sola Entertainment (Rick and Morty, The God of High School).
Honestly, this is a dream come true, not only as an animation fan, but as a fan of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Battle of Helm's Deep is arguably the best action sequence of the entire trilogy, and one of the best large-scale battles ever put to the big screen. An animated film based on the battle that gave Helm's Deep its name is just too good to pass on, and it being directed by the man behind one of the best anime series of the 2000s? Beautiful. That the project is being written by two people involved with Netflix's Dark Crystal show is just the icing on the cake, as that show found a perfect balance between epic storytelling and intimate character moments.
There are no further details about The War of the Rohirrim, but when the beacon of new information is lit, and Gondor calls for aid, Collider will answer.
