Go Behind the Scenes of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ in New Featurette

The groundbreaking journey back to Middle-earth, through the eyes of legendary director Kenji Kamiyama, opens only in cinemas December 11Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

“By delving into the past and maintaining that connection, I believed we could add depth to the film,” says director Kenji Kamiyama about the highly anticipated original anime feature “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” in a newly released featurette about the film. “This approach also allowed new stories to emerge.” 

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan (voiced by Brian Cox, “Succession”). A sudden attack by Wulf (Luke Pasqualino, “Snowpiercer”), a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. To save their people, Helm’s daughter, Héra (Gaia Wise, “A Walk in the Woods”), must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.  

Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

Kamiyama, an award-winning and renowned anime director, thinks that anime is a great fit for “The Lord of the Rings” world. “I think anime is a fantastic medium to try and depict genres like fantasy and science fiction because it’s already an imagined world,” says Kamiyama. “When you are entering into the world of animation, you have a certain agreement with the audience that it is make believe, it is something drawn and imagined.”

Wise, who voices Héra, shares why she thinks fans have an ongoing passion for “The Lord of the Rings,” a world she first read about when she was a little girl, then saw on screen as a young teenager. “I think what keeps people interested in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is the fact that they are all about human nature, things that speak to us, things that speak to our souls,” she says. “They’re about kindness, love, looking after the planet, the aftermath of wars. There is so much that we can relate to across the generations, from people who read Tolkien when Tolkien was writing, to those who read everything he wrote through the years. I think his work will be everlasting, because the world he created is so dramatic, beautiful and heartfelt, and just resonates with every generation.”

Get ready to journey back to Middle-earth when “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” opens in cinemas December 11. #LOTR

About “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”

New Line Cinema’s original anime feature “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” TV series), the talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox (“Succession”) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (“A Walk in the Woods”) as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino (“Snowpiercer”) as Wulf. Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, who serves as the tale’s narrator. The voice ensemble also includes Lorraine Ashbourne (Netflix’s “Bridgerton”), Yazdan Qafouri (“I Came By”), Benjamin Wainwright (“World on Fire”), Laurence Ubong Williams (“Gateway”), Shaun Dooley (“The Witcher”), Michael Wildman (“Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”), Jude Akuwudike (“Beasts of No Nation”), Bilal Hasna (“Sparks”) and Janine Duvitski (“Benidorm”).

With Kamiyama at the helm, the original feature is being produced by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, from the screenwriting team behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” Trilogies, alongside Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, who, in addition to their many separate animation projects, collaborated on the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” series. The executive producers are Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Sam Register, Carolyn Blackwood and Toby Emmerich. The screenplay is by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou, story by Addiss & Matthews and Boyens, based on characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The team of creative collaborators returning from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy also includes Oscar winners Alan Lee and Richard Taylor, along with esteemed Tolkien illustrator John Howe.

New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation Present, in Association with Wingnut Films, a Warner Bros. Animation and Sola Entertainment Production, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.”