Hey, Tolkien fans! This year marks the 20th anniversary of the release of Fellowship of the Ring. And now, Warner Bros. Animation and New Line Cinema team up to bring you ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ anime film.
However, due to the ongoing strikes of WGA and SAG-AFTRA in Hollywood, the release date is delayed to December 13, 2024. This decision may work to the film’s advantage. In the past, Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy was also released in December, racking in the holiday season tickets.
According to a press release from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros., the anime film is a “companion piece” to the original LOTR and serves as a prequel set 250 years before the trilogy. It follows Helm Hammerhand, the ninth King of Rohan, and how he earned the namesake of Helm’s Deep.
Director Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in a Shell: Stand Alone Complex) takes the reins for this spectacular production. Accompanied by producer Joseph Chou (Blade Runner: Black Lotus) and writers Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) and also has a consultant like Philippa Boyens, a screenwriter from the original LOTR trilogy.
“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.
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,” said Carolyn Blackwood, Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Richard Brener, President and Chief Creative Officer, New Line Cinema, in a joint statement.
Also, looks like more Middle-Earth content is coming our way with Amazon doing a Lord of the Rings Series, though unrelated to the film above.
Are you excited to watch the new LOTR anime film next year? Share with us your thoughts in the comments.
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