Princess Hera, voiced by Gaia Wise, in a scene from ‘Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’
Warner Bros. Animation, New Line Cinema and Sola Entertainment premiered 20 minutes of their upcoming anime feature film. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the RohirrimFirst look images were also shared, with positive reception at the Annecy Animation Festival.
Director Kenji Kamiyama revealed that he drew inspiration from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and the films of Peter Jackson, who serves as the film’s executive producer alongside Fran Walsh. The story takes place 200 years before Bilbo Baggins hits the power circles and focuses on the house of King Helm Hammerhand of Rohan, voiced by Brian Cox. The story focuses on his daughter, Princess Hera, voiced by Gaia Wise. The previewed scene shows a council meeting that becomes contentious, leading to a conflict with Wolf, a lord of Dunlending seeking revenge. Australian actress Miranda Otto returns as Eowyn, who narrates the film.
Kamiyama, known for Blade Runner: Black Lotus And Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complexdiscussed the depth of the story. He was joined by producers Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote the story, Jason DeMarco, and Joseph Chow in a conversation moderated by Andy Serkis. DeMarco said the film aimed to adopt a distinct anime style rather than imitating Peter Jackson’s films.
“The fans will go crazy for it,” said Serkis, who will reprise his role as Gollum Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumwhich he will also direct. During the session, Serkis also mentioned his upcoming project, a contemporary adaptation of George Orwell’s novel. Animal Farm.
Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim The film will release in North America on December 13, while its international release will begin on December 11.
