And then there were eight… Middle-earth March Madness 2025: The Art of Middle-earth Round Four voting is open now! And we have a GIVEAWAY for you to enter! And if that were not enough, we have livestreams today and Tuesday with very special guests! Read on to find out more…
How the art works lined up in the Sweet Sixteen
The battles are getting closer; in Round Three, most victories were by a margin of less than 60%. The biggest conqueror was Matthew Stewart’s The Horn of Boromir, which took over 70% of the votes to defeat Michael Hague’s Rescued from Wolves. It seems people have a soft spot for art which echoes Peter Jackson’s movies.
The Horn of Boromir, by Matthew Stewart
In the Groups/Montages region, there was one match up which went right down to the wire. In the end, David Wenzel’s Gandalf at Your Service (from his The Hobbit graphic novel) beat Eric Velhagen’s Encounter at Amon Sûl. The charms of the Shire overcame the dynamic but violent battle with Ringwraiths – but by a margin of only 4% of the votes.
Gandalf at Your Service, by David Wenzel
So now we are down to the final pairing in each of our four regions. This Elite Eight features some big names in the world of Tolkien art; and some with which you may not be so familiar. Which will go all the way, to become the Grand Champion of 2025? If you can predict that, you might be one of our lucky winners!
Thanks to our good friends at Warner Bros. we have copies of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim to giveaway. (What better way to celebrate the Art of Middle-earth than with this epic anime film?) During the Elite Eight round, you can enter to be in with a chance of winning, by guessing which of the remaining masterpieces you think will be the ultimate victor. Simply complete this form with your prediction; once Middle-earth March Madness is over, we’ll pick winners at random from those who successfully predicted the Grand Champion. (Sorry, this giveaway is only open to residents of the USA or Canada.)
Then make sure to give your chosen winner the best chance, by VOTING!
How does it work, you ask? Simple! Click on the button below. This will take you to the voting site, where you can view the entire bracket, and also view individual works in all their glory (and details of the artist). Place your votes for Round Four: Elite Eight!
Staffer Madeye Gamgee shares his thoughts on the pieces in the Elite (or ‘Elegant’ or ‘Engaging’) Eight:
In Landscapes, iconic Lord of the Rings scenes by incredible and well-know masters of their craft, Donato Giancola and Alan Lee. These two have emerged from possibly the strongest region, stacked with well-known artists and strong lesser know ones
In Story Moments, a focus on tragedy and death, curiously, whether it’s Boromir’s last tragic stand and redemption, or one of the darkest days (literally) in the story of the Silmarils, a mixture of beauty and Elven genocide.
-In Portraits, it’s light against dark in a battle of divine strength, with the fair (and powerful) River Daughter facing the specter of Morgoth, perhaps drawing inspiration from Luthien’s triumph in a similar artistic match
In Groups, perhaps a surprising and much more peaceful pairing, and all Shire-centric, with David Wenzel’s familiar meeting between Gandalf and Bilbo up against, well, who are those hobbits fishing by the little Shire river? It seems like a wonderful spot to look for a more peaceful adventure!
You have until the end of the day Tuesday April 1st to vote in Round Four; on Wednesday 2nd the Final Four will begin! But first – please join us TODAY, Sunday 30th, for a very special livestream. 3pm PST/6pm EST Ted Nasmith will join us, to discuss his incredible The Kinslaying of Alqualondë, which features in the ‘Story Moments’ bracket. Then join us again on Tuesday 1st April, when artist Donato Giancola will be with us during TORn Tuesday to discuss his masterpiece The Walls of Moria. We hope you’ll be there to hear from both these fantastic artists, as you make decisions on the Elite Eight round. And don’t forget to VOTE!
And just like that, we’re on to Round Three of Middle-earth March Madness 2025: The Art of Middle-earth. From 64 works of art which started in the four brackets, now we’re down to the Sweet Sixteen; and in this round, you only have three days to vote. Round Three voting is open now!
Round Two for the most part had pretty clear winners in the match ups. The one VERY close battle was between Angelo Montanini’s Radagast the Magician and Turner Mohan’s Lúthien and Morgoth. These two very different works were in a stalemate for most of the round. A brief flurry of votes in the final hour saw them continue to swap places for the lead, until finally, when voting closed, Mohan’s extraordinary work come out the victor – but by just ONE VOTE!
Lúthien and Morgoth by Turner Mohan
One perhaps surprising departure in Round Two was John Howe! His Barrels out of Bond was narrowly defeated by Kip Rasmussen’s Thingol and Melian, which claimed 56% of the vote. Both are gorgeous pieces; it just shows how difficult it is to choose when all these artists are so talented, and their visions are so different. It now looks like Alan Lee and Donato Giancola may meet in the Elite Eight, to decide the overall winner in the ‘Landscapes’ bracket; but first, they have to make it through this next round!
Thingol and Melian, by Kip Rasmussen
Some thoughts from staffer Madeye Gamgee on the contest so far:
In the Sweet 16, as far as book “Conferences” go, we have representation from:
The Silmarillion — 4
The Hobbit — 3
The Lord of the Rings – 9
We had some very familiar artists get knocked out of the tournament this round, including John Howe, Justin Gerard, Jerry VanderStelt, and Colleen Doran. Surviving are newer artists like Anna Lee, Edvige Faini, Soni Alcorn-Fender, and Eric Velhagen. Art from titans Donato Giancola and Alan Lee may be heading to a face-off in the Landscape finals. Can Ted Nasmith’s work prevail over less well-known but formidable competing artwork? Will the comfort of David Wenzel’s classic Hobbit graphic novel be enough to overcome what may be the most diverse group of competing artwork in the Groups/Montages region? It’s not getting any easier!
Take a look at the fours brackets as they now stand; which masterpiece do you think is en route to becoming to champion for 2025? As always, we encourage you to take some time enjoying the art, and perhaps follows some links to check out other works by the artists, before you place your next votes. (You can also always access the earlier rounds at the voting link; so all these incredible pieces are still there for your viewing pleasure!)
Decisions are getting harder, as the field narrows. How you make your choice is up to you!
How does it work, you ask? Simple! Click on the button below. This will take you to the voting site, where you can view the entire bracket, and also view individual works in all their glory (and details of the artist). Place your votes for Round Three: Sweet Sixteen!
You have until the end of the day Saturday March 29th to vote in Round Two; on Sunday 30th we’ll open voting for Round Four! That Sunday, we’ll also have a very special livestream at 3pm PST, when none other than Ted Nasmith will join us, to discuss his ‘The Kinslaying of Alqualonde’, which features in the ‘Story Moments’ bracket – and he may even share some preliminary sketches with us! We hope you’ll join us for that, as you make decisions on the Elite Eight round; but first, go and examine the Sweet Sixteen! Vote well!
With thousands of votes over all the pairings, Round One of Middle-earth March Madness 2025: The Art of Middle-earth is done; and half the wondrous works of art have been eliminated. If you joined us for any of our livestreams, you’ll know how tricky those choices were; and from here on, it only gets tougher! Voting is open now for Round Two!
Round One saw some VERY close battles – and indeed, few works won by really wide margins. In the ‘Landscapes’ bracket, Mary Fairburn’s Gandalf on the Tower of Orthanc beat Federico Cimini’s Rhosgobel by less than 1% of votes cast! That same bracket, however, saw one of the biggest victories: Alan Lee’s Edoras took 86% of votes, to defeat Paul Gregory’s Caradhras – a beautiful work which might well have made it through to Round Two, had we not set it up with such a challenging opening round battle!
Edoras by Alan Lee
Check out the bracket now, to see which pieces made it through. Then we hope you may linger a while, spending some time with the 32 remaining pieces, before you place your next votes.
How you choose is up to you! How you vote is explained below:
How does it work, you ask? Simple! Click on the button below. This will take you to the voting site, where you can view the entire bracket, and also view individual works in all their glory (and details of the artist). Place your votes for Round Two!
You have until the end of the day Wednesday March 26th to vote in Round Two; on Thursday 27th we’ll open voting for Round Three! We’ll have more livestream discussions of the featured art – and look out for some very special guests coming up, as well as some giveaways! Join us on Tuesday 25th for TORn Tuesday where Jerry VanderStelt will be our guest, to discuss his piece in the ‘Montages’ bracket, The Fellowship of the Ring. We hope to see you then – perhaps you may want to wait to vote until after that stream, in case it changes your mind…?
Spring is springing in the Northern Hemisphere, and that means it is time for March Madness! We here at TheOneRing.net always like to join in the fun; and this year, we bring you Middle-earth March Madness 2025: The Art of Middle-earth.
As those who joined us for the livestream launch yesterday know, this year we’ve chosen 64 works of art – artists’ imaginings of the realms and characters created by The Professor. These are then divided into four ‘Regions’: Landscapes, Portraits, Story Moments, and Groups/Montages.
As you can imagine, it was very difficult to narrow the field to 64 artists and then to choose just ONE work from each artist! (But we certainly had fun, exploring and perusing and immersing ourselves in Middle-earth art!) Now we hand the difficult decision making over to YOU! As ever, our March Madness plays out in six rounds, with half the entries getting knocked out each round. So right now you have the challenging task of voting to reduce 64 wonderful art works down to just 32!
How will you choose? That is entirely up to you! But first, a word about OUR choices:
You will notice the absence of Tolkien himself in this ‘contest’. We decided it would be unfair to include The Professor’s own art work – for surely he would be the clear winner! So the pool is made up of artists INSPIRED by Middle-earth, not the creator of Middle-earth himself. We also have not included art from film. There is of course art inspired by film – you can see a clear influence of Peter Jackson’s movies on some of these works – but we have not included, for example, stills from the recent, beautiful anime movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, nor from Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 The Lord of the Rings (though you will find the poster from that film in one of the brackets!)
This year’s March Madness, more than ever, is very much ‘for fun’. We didn’t seed our choices this year; we felt it was impossible to create any kind of ‘rank’ for these stunning visuals. Likewise, your vote will be entirely about your own personal taste. There is no ‘best’ piece amongst these 64 – only the ones YOU like best. So, vote however you would like. Toss a coin, if it comes down to it! But DO take some time enjoying all of the art. Our hope is that fans will take pleasure in revisiting familiar works, and also that many people will be introduced to artists whose work they do not already know. We’ve made sure to include links where available, so perhaps you’ll head off down a rabbit hole to explore more pieces by a painter you’ve just discovered. Maybe you’ll even buy some works from that artist, for your own wall! (And that’s actually quite a good ‘yard stick’ for decision making – ‘Would I like to hang this on my living room wall?’)
In short, treat the voting brackets like an art gallery. Stay a while! (You have until midnight EST at the end of March 22nd to vote in Round One.) Gaze, reflect, ponder, enjoy. And then VOTE.
How does it work, you ask? Simple! Click on the button below. This will take you to the voting site, where you can view the entire bracket, and also view individual works in all their glory (and details of the artist). So let’s get voting!
You have until the end of the day Saturday March 22nd to vote in Round One; on Sunday 23rd voting will open for Round Two! Look out for more livestream discussions of the featured art, coming from our TORn Tuesday team, where we’ll also have some very special guests – and some giveaways! Keep an eye on our socials for all details. We hope you enjoy exploring this Art of Middle-earth; let the games begin!
We’re thrilled to announce a new partnership between TheOneRing.net and the amazing folks at Signum Studios; and to let you know about an imminent project which you can support! Here’s our official press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 11, 2025
TheOneRing.net Partners with Signum Studios to Bring Deep-Dive Fan Content to Audiences Worldwide
For 25 years, TheOneRing.net has been a beacon for Tolkien fans — celebrating the Professor’s works with authenticity, community spirit, and a passion for well-researched stories. Today, we’re delighted to announce a new partnership with Signum Studios, known for producing in-depth, academically informed content that resonates with dedicated fandoms everywhere.
“We’re thrilled to join forces with Signum Studios,” says Chris Pirrotta, Co-Owner of TheOneRing.net. “Both of our teams share a commitment to creating thoughtful, inspiring projects that honor Tolkien’s vision and bring fans closer together. We can’t wait to see where this journey leads.”
Corey Olsen, President of Signum University (of which Signum Studios is the production branch), says, “Signum University has always admired the passion of the TORn community, and we are tremendously excited by what lies ahead!”
A Deep Dive Into Middle-earth: Rings & Realms: The War of the Rohirrim
A project that celebrates just this type of collaboration is a Kickstartercampaign for “Rings & Realms: The War of the Rohirrim.” This documentary-style production channels the beloved “appendices” spirit by exploring the anime feature film about Helm Hammerhand and the origins of Helm’s Deep. This documentary is helmed (pun intended!) by the creative minds at Signum Studios — including Dr. Corey Olsen (widely known as “The Tolkien Professor”) and Dr. Maggie Parke (Studio Director and adaptation specialist) — and will also feature TheOneRing.net’s own greendragon (Kirsten Cairns) as part of the team.
Dr Corey Olsen and Dr Maggie Parke of Signum Studios
• Thoughtful Exploration: The Rings & Realms crew merges scholarly insights with fan-oriented storytelling, aiming to offer a deeper understanding of Tolkien’s lore.
• Community Engagement: Backers gain behind-the-scenes access, Q&A sessions, and even set visits — keeping our vibrant fan community at the heart every step of the way.
• Authentic Fan Spirit: True to TORn’s legacy, this project will invite fans to explore Middle-earth in a welcoming, celebratory way.
By supporting Rings & Realms, you’ll help us continue our mission of bringing richly researched, entertaining Tolkien content to audiences around the globe. Whether you’re a long-time TORn community member or new to TheOneRing.net, we invite you to be part of this exciting new venture.
How You Can Support
Visit our Kickstarter page to learn more about Rings & Realms: The War of the Rohirrim, pledge your support, and explore the rewards we’ve lined up for you. But hurry! The Kickstarter campaign closes at 7pm ET on Monday 13th January. With your help, we can continue celebrating Tolkien’s world — together.
About TheOneRing.net
Since 1999, TheOneRing.net has been a welcoming home for Tolkien fans, uniting a global community that embraces the spirit of exploration, discussion, and fellowship inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s works.
About Signum Studios
Signum Studios specializes in fan-focused, academically grounded media productions. Their goal is to bring beloved fictional worlds to life through engaging storytelling and thorough research — offering a fresh perspective for fans everywhere.
Here’s a Holiday gift for us all – The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be available to watch digitally from Friday December 27th! We still heartily recommend seeing it on a big screen – with amazing surround sound – but if you can’t find a cinema near you, (or if you’ve seen it and want to watch it again), from this Friday, you can stream it at home.
What’s more, there is exciting Extra Content to be seen – and we are thrilled that Warner Bros. have given us an EXCLUSIVE clip to share with you as a sneak preview. Take a look:
Here’s the official press release about the digital release:
Burbank, CA, December 23, 2024 – New Line Cinema’s original anime feature “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” which 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, debuts Digitally at home on December 27.
“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” continues the legendary “The Lord of the Rings” film franchise that debuted 23 years ago. The most awarded series in cinematic history, the six films have earned $6 billion at the global box office and won 17 Academy Awards. Directed by Peter Jackson, “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy includes 2001’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” 2002’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” and 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” which were produced by New Line Cinema and WingNut Films and distributed by New Line Cinema, and “The Hobbit” Trilogy, which includes 2012’s “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” 2013’s “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” and 2013’s “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” which were produced by New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, and WingNut Films and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the saga of the legendary House of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan. When a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord attacks seeking vengeance for the death of his father, Helm’s daughter Héra must summon the will to lead the resistance or face total destruction.
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”).
On December 27, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” will be available Digitally at home on participating digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Fandango at Home, and more.
DIGITAL ELEMENTS
“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” on Digital contains the following special features:
Return to Helm’s Deep: History Becomes Legend
Middle-earth and Anime: A Marriage of Creativity
Héra: A New Hero for Middle-earth
BASICS
Digital Availability: December 27, 2024 Running Time: 134 minutes Rating: PG-13
About The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
The 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 talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino 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, Yazdan Qafouri, Benjamin Wainwright, Laurence Ubong Williams, Shaun Dooley, Michael Wildman, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna and Janine Duvitski. 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, Ken Kamins, 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. The music is by Stephen Gallagher, music editor of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” Trilogy.
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.” The film is distributed theatrically worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
If you’re curious to know more about this particular story from Tolkien, and its adaptation to the big screen, we have good news for you! TheOneRing.net is partnering with the team at Rings and Realms to create a deep dive documentary all about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Find out more about this exciting project, here.
