While J.R.R. Tolkien is best known for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, his Middle-earth mythology extends much further, resembling a history book infused with dragons, orcs, and perilous jewelry. Despite Amazon's The Rings of Power garnering more attention as a prequel to the Lord of the Rings saga, another project set before Bilbo's adventures is currently in development.
Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim will narrate the tale of Helm Hammerhand, who was crowned King of Rohan in 2741. During his reign, Rohan faced conflict with the local Dunlendings—a ferocious group of men who later allied with Saruman in The Lord of the Rings. The King of the Dunlendings, Freca, demanded that his son, Wulf, marry Helm's daughter. Unwilling to yield to threats, Helm killed King Freca with his bare hands, igniting a war between the clans.
Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is set around 2758 of the Third Age, while The Lord of the Rings begins in 3018, creating a gap of 250 years between the upcoming animated feature and Peter Jackson's legendary trilogy. During this time, Sauron is still regaining strength in Dol Guldur, though his dark influence lingers across Middle-earth. Most members of the Fellowship have yet to be born, but notable characters from this period include Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, Legolas, and Saruman. While Miranda Otto will serve as the narrator as Éowyn, her character was not alive during the events of War of the Rohirrim.
With the return to Middle-earth on the horizon, exciting news has emerged in the form of an extended opening scene from War of the Rohirrim. Released by IGN, the 8-minute clip offers a glimpse into the upcoming animated film set in the Lord of the Rings universe. In addition to highlighting the film's stunning visuals, it introduces key characters, including the formidable warrior Helm Hammerhand. The clip wraps up with a sneak peek at additional scenes, featuring several recognizable locations in Rohan.
Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is officially set for release on December 13, 2024. While New Line announced the film back in June 2021, it encountered multiple delays, including those caused by the Hollywood strikes in 2023. The animation is being handled by SOLA Digital Arts, known for Blade Runner: Black Lotus, and the creative team includes illustrators Alan Lee and John Howe, who both contributed to the original trilogy.
During the celebration of the 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring, New Line Cinema announced plans to expedite production on the animated Lord of the Rings prequel. Kenji Kamiyama has been chosen to direct, while the official screenplay is penned by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
Christopher Lee is set to reprise his role as Saruman in the animated film, although the extent of his involvement remains unclear. Lee, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 93, will be featured based on previously recorded lines from The Hobbit trilogy. In the context of the story, Saruman was indeed alive during the time of The War of the Rohirrim, but he had not yet become the villainous ally of Sauron.
With the movie's December release date approaching, Warner Bros. has unveiled a full-length trailer for The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. The trailer opens with nostalgic clips from the classic live-action films before shifting to animation to highlight the conflict between Helm Hammerhand and the Dunlendings, narrated by Miranda Otto as Éowyn. It offers glimpses of epic battle sequences and includes a brief tease featuring the One Ring.
