The War of the Rohirrim: Release Date & Everything We Know about Upcoming LoTR Project

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an upcoming animated film from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. that takes viewers back to the world of JRR Tolkien nearly two hundred years before the events of Peter Jackson's films.

The project is being helmed not only by famed Japanese animator and director Kenji Kamiyama, but also by Middle-earth veterans such as screenwriter Philippa Boyens, who worked on both film trilogies. News about The War of the Rohirrim appeared back in 2021, and during this time its premiere was postponed.

But now the movie has a final release date – December 13, 2024. Here we have collected everything that is known about the movie.

What Will The War of the Rohirrim Be About?

The War of the Rohirrim is based on a short fragment from the appendices of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, which tells the story of Rohan.

The action takes place 183 years before the events of the original trilogy. Helm Hammerhand, one of the main characters in the upcoming project, was a great king who later took an important place in the mythology of the Rohirrim.

The feature-length animated movie will tell the story of the war between Helm and the Dunlendings, led by their leader Wulf. There will be no orcs or Sauron in this conflict. The Dunlendings are a tribe of people who were driven from their lands by the inhabitants of Rohan and became their enemies.

An attentive viewer will remember the Dunlendings in The Two Towers when Saruman calls a crowd of people with pikes, spears and swords to take the lands of Rohan. Because of the Dunlendings' attack, Helm leads his people to the fortress of Hornburg, which later became known as Helm's Deep.

The Main Character Is Hera, Who Didn't Even Have a Name in the Original Source

But, according to the authors, it was the king's daughter, who remains completely nameless in Tolkien's text, who attracted their attention even more.

In The War of the Rohirrim, her name is Hera, and even the trailer and poster make it clear that the audience will be watching her most of the time. Gaia Wise, who voiced the character, compares her to Nausicaa in Miyazaki's masterpiece Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Eowyn in Peter Jackson's trilogy.

The War of the Rohirrim's Cast of Voice Actors

The universes of The Lord of the Rings and Succession have unexpectedly come together in The War of the Rohirrim: one of the main roles (King Helm) in the upcoming movie has gone to Brian Cox. Miranda Otto, who played Eowyn in Peter Jackson's movies, will be the narrator.

The lead role of the Rohan warrior Hera went to Gaia Wise, a young actress who previously appeared in The Chelsea Detective.

The Movie Was Praised at the Animation Festival

In June 2024, the first 20 minutes of The War of the Rohirrim were shown at one of the world's leading animation festivals in Annecy, France.

Those lucky enough to attend the premiere were impressed by the animation and the attention to detail in the interiors, costumes, and weapons. Obviously, the creators of The War of the Rohirrim have managed to capture the spirit of Tolkien while maintaining the charm of Jackson's films.