First Look at The Lord of the Rings Anime Film Brings About a “Ghiblish” Animation Style and a Series of Hopeful Fans
Since the release of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings in the early 2000s, the world of J.R.R. Tolkien has not lost its appeal and is still loved by people of all ages. The love for Jackson’s films still makes fans want to know more about the other sides of Middle-earth. After the release of Amazon Prime’s series The Rings of Power, viewers will now have an anime adaptation of the mythical story.
Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema recently showed an exclusive first glimpse into their upcoming anime project, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. This prequel takes place 150 years before the story of the first three films. The glimpses reveal a visually different anime adaptation of Middle-earth. As excitement rises, fans can hope that this bold artistic decision will justify their expectations.
The War of the Rohirrim Anime Brings in New Fans
Such creative risks are usually rewarding when the original story is treated with respect. If done correctly, The War of the Rohirrim might start a new generation of Tolkien fans by combining the world of anime with the richness of Middle Earth.
Legendary director Kenji Kamiyama is leading this ambitious project. Known for his critically acclaimed works like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Kamiyama is teaming up with screenwriter-producer Philippa Boyens and artists from Weta Workshop to bring the story of Helm Hammerhand, the king of Rohan, to life.
The first-look images hint at interesting Ghiblish anime aesthetics that are inspired by the films of Studio Ghibli. Netizens took to social media as many viewers were pleased to catch a number of the film’s characters, like Hèra, voiced by Gaia Wise, and Helm Hammerhand, portrayed by Brian Cox.
Looks very ghiblish and that’s great
— da1jozef (@yosifamjad9) June 11, 2024
I'm very cautiously excited for this
— Sharkz「🦈🛡️」 (@Sharkzgg) June 12, 2024
Pretty good first look 👌
— Christian Jones (@Sir_ChrisJones) June 12, 2024
We heading back to middle-earth this winter
— MsB(Vitch)DaSecond (@MsVitchDa2nd) June 11, 2024
Based off the pic alone it does look promising. Hopefully it'll actually be good.
— Aaron Keener (@Lord_Elfstone) June 12, 2024
In an interview with People, Boyens said that there were some story aspects that could only be done in anime due to the limitations of the live-action genre.
There are certain things I don’t think we could have necessarily done — or they would have made it extremely expensive — elements to the storytelling that you could do in anime in a way that was kind of breathtaking, actually.
Boyens also praised Brian Cox for making Hammerhand’s portrayal seem effortless, even in tough situations. The voice cast also includes Miranda Otto, who also played Éowyn in Jackson’s movies. With such a cast and director as Kamiyama, The War of the Rohirrim will surely be an exciting, visually engaging story of an extended part of Middle-earth’s history.
The Hunt for Gollum to Be the Next Big Lord of the Rings Project
Amid the release of The War of the Rohirrim, Warner Bros. also revealed a new Lord of the Rings movie called The Hunt for Gollum, which is set to be released in 2026. This project shares its name with a fan-made short film that was released on YouTube a few years ago and attracted more than 14 million viewers.
The original Hunt for Gollum was the idea of Chris Bouchard, who was a young film school graduate at the time. His 39 minutes of work showed his love for Tolkien and was loved by Lord of the Rings fans all over the world. He could have never imagined that more than a decade later, his fan-made film would lead to an official creation by the studio.
According to the New York Times, the movie will be produced by Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh. Andy Serkis will reprise his role as well as direct the movie. Talking about the movie with the New York Times, Serkins said,
Yesssss, Precious. The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle-earth.
Bouchard was working as an assistant at a postproduction company when he developed The Hunt for Gollum as a side project. Now it serves as an example of the power of fanfiction, as fans will get to see more of Tolkien’s universe.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be released in theaters on December 13, 2024.
