We know a TV series set in the same world as The Lord of the Rings is coming to Amazon, but it's been confirmed today that Warner Bros. is developing an anime movie titled The War of the Rohirrim. Serving as a prequel to the events surrounding the War of the Ring, New Line Cinema is developing the project with Warner Bros. Animation. Philippa Boyens, who was a writer on the original trilogy, is attached as a consultant.
Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex) will direct, while Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) have been tapped to pen the screenplay. It's said that the movie is being fast-tracked for a theatrical release, and a voice cast is now being put together.
"Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set roughly 250 years before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring and follows the story of Helm Hammerhand," The Wrap reports. Hammerhand was once a legendary King of Rohan, and while J.R.R. Tolkein described his life in the appendices of his books, there's plenty of room to expand on that to tell this story.
As well as focusing on the legendary King of Rohan, telling the story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep and delving into the life and blood-soaked times of one of Middle-Earth’s most legendary figures, the movie will also tie into Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
However, The War of the Rohirrim will not link up to the aforementioned Amazon series in any way.
"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," Carolyn Blackwood, chief operating officer at Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Richard Brener, president and chief creative officer at New Line Cinema, said in a joint statement.
"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."
"This will be yet another epic portrayal of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world that has never been told before. We’re honored to partner with much of the incredible talent behind both film trilogies, along with new creative luminaries to tell this story," Sam Register, president of Warner Bros. Animation, added.
"And so it begins."