‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ First Look Promises Epic Anime Action

Christian Blauvelt
·2 min read
3
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Forth Eorlingas!

Just days after Warner Bros. announced “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for a Gollum” as a new live-action film for 2026, Rohan has mustered its forces for an epic first look at “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.” We finally have a taste of the animation style of the Warner Bros. feature, directed by anime filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama, in images released in advance of the presentation for the film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. See the images below.

More from IndieWire

The anime film will be set 261 years before the events of the live-action “The Lord of the Rings” movies, and it does not have the involvement of Peter Jackson, though his producing partner Philippa Boyens will be part of the presentation at Annecy. “War of the Rohirrim” will concern itself with an event where the villainous Wulf, a lord of Dunland, seeks revenge against the legendary king of Rohan Helm Hammerhand, whose mighty horn would one day crown the top of the fortress of Helm’s Deep (also named after the monarch).

Wulf wants to wreak havoc against Helm and the horse lords of Rohan as retribution for the death of his father. War is the only answer. Luke Pasqualino voices Wulf, while Brian Cox will take on Helm. And most exciting for fans of Jackson’s movies: Miranda Otto will narrate the film as future shieldmaiden Eowyn, the character she portrayed over 20 years ago. Eowyn, along with her uncle Theoden, are descendants of Helm. Theoden actor Bernard Hill, who contributed so much to defining the idea of the Rohirrim onscren, died earlier this month.

Andy Serkis will join Boyens, Kamiyama (who previously worked on the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” TV series), and producer Joseph Chou, in a conversation about the film at the festival. Annecy will run June 9 to June 15. Sola Entertainment is animating the film now. Serkis will direct “The Hunt for Gollum.”

And here are the first look images.

A warrior stands outside a fortress that could well be Helm’s Deep.
A warrior stands outside a fortress that could well be Helm’s Deep.
The armies of Dunland, including a mumakil (or oliphaunt), amass near the Horse Lords’ capital of Edoras on the plains of Rohan.
The armies of Dunland, including a mumakil (or oliphaunt), amass near the Horse Lords’ capital of Edoras on the plains of Rohan.
A mumakil with the kind of archers’ canopy we say the Haradrim using in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ and its Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
A mumakil with the kind of archers’ canopy we say the Haradrim using in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ and its Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
The title treatment
The title treatment

Fell deeds will awake when “War of the Rohirrim” opens in theaters December 13.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.