After two trilogies of three-to-four-hour movies, one would think there's not much else to see in the Lord of the Rings realm. However, that's severely underestimating the breadth of Middle-earth. J.R.R. Tolkien devoted years of his life and extensive linguistic knowledge to create a massive world, one with thousands of years of history behind it and no shortage of pivotal events.
Numerous video games have delved into these tales, and Amazon even has an upcoming TV show set in the fantastical mythos. Using Japanese animation, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. are making a standalone story titled The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. While fans don't know many specifics yet, the project does have a few key details to watch out for in the coming months.
8 The Setting
From the title, War of the Rohirrim, it's easy to gather that the film will focus on Rohan, the kingdom of cavalrymen. Specifically, the subject will be Helm Hammerhand, one of its more famous kings. Not only did he manage disputes within his own land, but he fiercely defended it from the invading Wildmen of Dunland. This war will likely form most of the film's action.
His exploits became so revered that he got a fort named after him: Helm's Deep. This fort would be the sight of a pivotal battle in The Lord of the Rings. Fans can even see a statue of Helm in The Two Towers. Now, that's how you know you made it big.
7 The Consultant
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies had the same three writers: Philippa Boyens, director Peter Jackson, and wife Fran Walsh. Unfortunately, the latter two are not involved with this anime prequel. Boyens, however, does return, albeit in a limited capacity.
Although she's not working directly on the script, she will serve as a consultant for the project. This probably puts many fans' minds at ease. After immersing herself in Tolkien's world for so long, Boyens could be a helpful source of knowledge on not just Middle-earth's history, but also the sensibilities of the movies. Plus, maybe this means Jackson will finally get around to that second Tintin flick.
6 The Writers
The nitty-gritty scriptwriting duties fall to Jeffrey Addis and Will Matthews. This is the same duo behind the recent Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance series, an expansion of the cult fantasy film. The show got a pretty warm reception upon release, setting fans' hearts at ease.
These guys are clearly comfortable working within the fantasy genre and adding to an established property. What's still untested is their ability to shift formats. Whether their episodic writing skills will translate to a feature-length story remains to be seen.
5 The Director
To helm (pun intended) this prequel project, the studio selected Kenji Kamiyama. He's well-known among the anime landscape, mainly for creating Eden of the East.
At the same time, though, he's no stranger to existing IPs. His directorial credits include Netflix's Ultraman show and Cyborg 009. The most prolific franchise in his career is Ghost in the Shell, as he's tackled several movies and shows expanding on the classic. Still not content, Kamiyama has the Blade Runner: Black Lotus TV series out later this year. It's risky enough working on one iconic property, let alone several.
4 The Animation Studio
The animation for the film comes courtesy of Sola Entertainment, Kamiyama has worked with them before on projects like Ultraman and Ghost in the Shell, which indicates that they'll already have a comfortable rapport and experience with the medium.
While the Sola folks have done traditional 2D anime, they've devoted more of their time to the newer 3D version. This is shown in Knights of the Zodiac, Tekken 7, Halo: Legends, and several other products. These works generally aren't as fluid as their more old-fashioned counterparts, but the format grows more advanced by the day. Who knows what it will look like with War of the Rohirrim? It could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best war stories in anime.
3 The Animation Partner
Also attached to the project is Warner Bros. Animation. This isn't surprising since their parent studio had a hand in the live-action films. However, as mentioned previously, they're not actually doing the animation this one.
They are partners in the project, though, sharing responsibility with New Line Cinema. This isn't the first time a situation like this has come along. Warner Bros. Animation (and other Warner divisions) previously partnered with DC on Batman Ninja, an anime film by the Kamikaze Douga studio. Let's hope War of the Rohirrim turns out just as well.
2 It Won't Connect To The Amazon Show
Any rights issues aside, it simply wouldn't make sense for this anime to crossover with the upcoming Lord of the Rings Amazon show. Just look at their settings. The anime takes place around 250 years before the events of the films. That may seem like a long time, but it's still in Middle-earth's Third Age.
The Amazon show, on the other hand, is set to start in the Second Age. This is thousands of years prior. Rohan wasn't even established as its own kingdom yet. Granted, the series could explore the Rohirrim's ancestors, but this would be a flimsy connection at best, especially given how far they migrated before their alliance with Gondor.
1 It's (Supposedly) Headed For Theaters
Most studios these days release their films concurrently in both theater and digital formats. Others go for an entirely digital release. Warner Bros. themselves preemptively dumped their entire 2020 slate onto HBO Max. For War of the Rohirrim, however, they're set to release it in theaters.
This is a bold move not only due to an uncertain market after the COVID-19 pandemic but also because many audiences still consider anime a niche medium. Granted, some of these movies have achieved success in the past. Look at Akira and the wealth of Studio Ghibli films for examples.
Plus, the genre's box office has seen an upward trend over the years, with 2020's Demon Slayer raking in half a billion dollars worldwide. Middle-earth might find a fruitful place in anime, after all. It probably won't make as much as the live-action trilogies, but perhaps it doesn't have to.