Everything We Know About 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim'

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy became a worldwide sensation when it first released in the early aughts. Their combination of practical effects and revolutionary CGI tech allowed them to enter a new frontier in Hollywood blockbuster filmmaking while still retaining the artistry and hand-woven ingenuity of Hollywood’s past. The films not only were blockbusters and beloved by fantasy fans, but they were adored by critics and won a slew of Oscars. It’s hard to follow up that kind of success, but Warner Bros. is trying it nonetheless with a newly announced project to expand the Lord of the Rings cinematic universe.

First up (after Amazon’s billion-dollar TV series The Rings of Power) is a big-budget anime film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. As the title suggests, the focus shifts away from any Hobbits (they already got two trilogies worth of movies) and squarely onto the history of the Kingdom of Rohan, particularly Rohan’s army known by the name ‘The Rohirrim’. The decision to make an animated movie is a bit of surprise, and will be the first major animated Lord of the Rings content since Ralph Bakshi’s beloved and strange film from the 1970’s.

Here's everything we know about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim: 

When is The War of the Rohirrim’s release date?

The current release date of The War of the Rohirrim is April 12, 2024, however that date could easily be pushed back. It’s still unclear whether the movie will be a theatrical release or a streaming exclusive. The date was announced just after Amazon announced its own Lord of the Rings project, a sequel series to The Rings of Power. That means there will be two competing lines of Lord of the Rings content. Fans of J.R.R. Tolkein’s work will surely have a lot to talk about and look forward to in the coming years.

Who is in The War of the Rohirrim's cast?

Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand

Looks like after the ending of Succession, Brian Cox is still going to stay busy. It was announced in June of 2022 that Cox would be playing the lead role in The War of the Rohirrim. A juicy role like Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan for whom the famous Helm’s Deep is named, will surely be a perfect voice-acting match for Cox. His deep voice has previously lent sword and sandal epics like Braveheart and Troy a lot of gravitas. Cox is one of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood and his voice has become instantly recognizable. (F--k off!)

Miranda Otto as Éowyn

The only actor returning to The War of the Rohirrim from Peter Jackson’s original trilogy is Miranda Otto, who’s angelic and tender performance as the affectionate Éowyn, the niece of King Théoden in The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be reprised in The War of the Rohirrim. However, her performance will be that of the narrator as her character will not have been born when this tale takes place, about 183 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

Related: My Precious! How to Watch the 'Lord of the Rings' Movies In Order

Luke Pasqualino as Wulf

Luke Pasqualino was confirmed as the main villain, Wulf, in the film in June of 2022. Wulf is the son of a warlord of the Dunlendings who attack the Kingdom of Rohan in a flashback sequence in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. The attack forced the Rohirrim to retreat to a stronghold known as The Hornburg, which was later rebranded Helm’s Deep. Pasqualino is best known for his role as Freddie McClaire in the British TV series Skins as well as playing the character Grey in Bong Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer.

Gaia Wise as Hera

Gaia Wise will play Hera, the daughter of Helm Hammerhand. She is thrust into a difficult situation by Wulf and the Dunlendings and must summon the courage to lead a resistance against those dark forces.

Shaun Dooley as Freca

Shaun Dooley will play a major role as Freca, a previous leader of the Rohirrim. Freca has a deep lore in Lord of the Rings, with speculation that he has both Rohirrim and Dunlending blood in him. His rift with Helm Hammerhand leads to a fissure within the kingdom and turns Freca’s son Wulf against Helm.

Laurence Ubong Williams as Fréaláf Hildeson

Laurence Ubong Williams will portray Frealaf who is the nephew of Helm Hammerhand. Frealaf fled from the Dunlending attack and took refuge in Dunharrow along with many other Rohan villagers. Frealaf is known to be a secondary hero in the story. While the majority of the action takes place in the Hornburg, Frealaf plans his own attack to take the capital of Edoras back from the Dunlendings.

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Is there a trailer for The War of the Rohirrim?

There isn’t currently a trailer released for The War of the Rohirrim however concept art for the film was released in February 2022. The image features the Haradrim army and their signature Mûmakil (ancient elephant-like creatures known to most as Oliphaunts) as they set for battle against what is presumably the Rohirrim with Edoras, the mountain capital of the Kingdom of Rohan, in the background.

Who is the director of The War of the Rohirrim?

Kenji Kamiyama, a longtime Japanese animator and anime film and TV director, was hired to direct the film following his work alongside Joseph Chou for another anime TV series for Warner Bros., Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Kamiyima has worked on many installments of famous anime franchises, particularly those by legendary anime director Momoru Oshii, including Ghost in the Shell, Ultraman and Patlabor. Kamiyama will be joined by screenwriters Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, as well as longtime Peter Jackson collaborator Phillippa Boyens, who co-wrote the screenplays for the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, as a leading consultant. Since the film is directly tied to events that effect the Kingdom Rohan as relayed in The Two Towers, Boyens will help with tying the knot on these events and those that take place in the original trilogy.

What will happen in The War of the Rohirrim?

The events in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim take place 183 years before the events of the The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and are based on information from the original book trilogy along with Tolkien's Unfinished Tales. The main plot of the film follows an attack on the Kingdom of Rohan by the Dunlending tribe ordered by their warlord leader Wulf, who seeks revenge for the death of his father. The attack forces the villagers and residents of Rohan to seek refuge in The Hornburg, a large fortress built into the mountain. The King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, along with his daughter Hera, lead the forces of the Rohirrim against the Dunlendings in a battle that becomes a part of the lore and leads to The Hornberg being renamed in Helm's honor as Helm’s Deep.

Next, 78 of the Best Lord of the Rings Quotes to Inspire You to Live Your Most Heroic, Epic Life