Forty-six years after Ralph Bakshi made his animated The Lord of the Rings feature, we’re finally getting another Tolkien cartoon.
When is The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim being released in New Zealand?
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim charges into New Zealand cinemas on December 12
What is The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim about?
Set 183 years before the events of the main trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the tale of King Helm Hammerhand of Rohan, who must lead his people into battle against an invading army of Dunlendings commanded by the vengeful Wulf, who is seeking a little payback for the death of his father. Expect epic cavalry battles, stirring moments of heroism, and, eventually, the naming of Helm’s Deep, the fortress featured heavily in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Keen-eyed readers will note that this is an anime, with Ghost in the Shell veteran Kenji Kamiyama on directing duties. But it’s also very much a part of the New Line/Peter Jackson Tolkien universe: The Lord of the Rings co-writer Philippa Boyens is a producer and co-wrote the story with Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, while Oscar-winning Wētā effects legend Richard Taylor and illustrators Alan Lee and John Howe also contributed.
The cast of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
The mighty Brian Cox lends his powerful lungs to Helm Hammerhand; Gaia Wise is Hèra, his feisty tomboy daughter, which seems to be a recurring them in Rohan; Luke Pasqualino (Shadow and Bone) is the vengeance-crazed Wulf; Shaun Dooley is his father, Freca; and Lorraine Ashbourne, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna, and Janine Duvitski round out the voice cast. The whole thing is narrated by Miranda Otto, reprising her role as Éowyn.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim trailer
Why we’re excited about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
We’re just really big fans of cavalry charges. And, since this is animated, we don’t have to worry about pangs of guilt when the horses fall over.
