Summary Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh join The War of the Rohirrim as executive producers, adding to the excitement around the new Lord of the Rings film. New images showcase a mix of anime style and Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy elements in The War of the Rohirrim . The film will explore the story of Helm Hammerhand and include characters never before seen on screen, set 200 years before Bilbo finds the One Ring.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has received several big updates, with new images, footage descriptions, and the reveal that Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh have joined the movie in executive producer roles, all coming on the same day. As one of the new and exciting additions to the Lord of the Rings franchise, the news of Jackson and Walsh's presence on the movie's production team is probably not surprising after recent announcements surrounding the IP.
Entertainment Weekly shared two images from the film, showcasing Hèra (voiced by Gaia Wise), the protagonist, and Wulf (voiced by Luke Pasqualino), the main antagonist. The first impression of the new sneak peek into the expansion of the franchise is that the film manages to combine an anime style of art direction with several elements of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
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As EW revealed their new look at the movie, The Wrap reported that a showcase at the Annacy panel included the revelation that Jackson and Walsh are now part of the movie, and 20-minutes of footage was screened during the event. The footage reportedly included a voice-over by Miranda Otto, reprising her role as Éowyn. The film is set 200 years before Bilbo Baggins first discovers the One Ring in the possession of Gollum, and will feature many characters never seen on screen before, as it tells the story of Helm's Deep founder, Helm Hammerhand.
The footage reportedly revealed more of Hèra, the daughter of Helm Hammerhand, who rejects a marriage proposal from Wulf, leading to the central conflict of the movie's story. Hèra emerges as a central figure in the story, able to command the Great Eagles and eventually becoming a leader of the Rohirrim. While this lengthy preview will not be shared online for fans to see, it is clear that the film is almost ready to reveal its first teaser soon.
The Lord of the Rings Franchise Continues to Expand Close
Several months ago, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav revealed that among the many IPs the company plans to jump back into with more sequels, prequels, and reboots, Lord of the Rings is a top priority. At the time of the announcement, The War of the Rohirrim was already in production, even though it would then receive multiple delays in its release date.
However, last month, another project was announced that has perhaps taken a little bit of the shine off the animated entry in the franchise. That project is The Hunt for Gollum, a new live-action movie that sees Andy Serkis stepping behind the camera as director, and Peter Jackson returning to the world of Middle Earth once again. As yet there have been no casting announcements, but that has not stopped speculation running wild about which stars of Jackson's original trilogy could return to reprise their roles.
Related How Peter Jackson's New Lord of the Rings Movie Could Bring Back Aragorn and Gandalf
With The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis could bring back Aragorn and Gandalf, though they may be recast.
Recently, both Viggo Mortensen and Ian McKellen, who played Aragorn and Gandalf respectively in the 2001-2003 releases, have responded to questions about their involvement in the latest addition to Warner Bros. take on the world of Tolkien. While it is clear that both stars would consider coming back to the franchise again, everything seems to hinge on the actor's being a right fit for this new story.
Before The Hunt for Gollum hits cinemas in 2026, though, fans of The Lord of the Rings will be able to see Season 2 of Prime Video's The Rings of Power arrive on the platform later this year, followed by The War of the Rohirrim at the end of 2024. Not bad at all for a fantasy saga that was once believed to be unfilmable.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be released in theaters on December 13, 2024.
