Tag: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Not too long ago, Games Workshop announced a new edition of Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game — their licensed tabletop miniature wargame that’s based on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies.
Slipped into that annnouncement was a one-sentence tease that, as part of the update, GW would also release a series of figures based on the forthcoming anime feature the Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. (Sneaky!)
Now they’ve revealed the first of these: foot and mounted versions of Wulf, the Rohirrim lordling who seizes Meduseld (and the throne) from Helm Hammerhand.
Wulf mounted figure for the Middle-earth Battle Strategy Game.
GW Lead Design Manager told TheOnering.net that they “worked with Warner Bros. and the creative team behind the movie — including the absolutely wonderful Arty Papageorgiou and Philippa Boyens — to make sure our miniatures reflected the visuals of the film whilst sitting well alongside our existing range.”
Although I don’t play the game myself, I found the card that outlines Wulf’s special rule quite interesting.
To me, that first sentence suggests that GW will subsequently release figures for “the heirs and leaders of Rohan”. At a guess, I extrapolate that mean it’s reasonable to expect additional figures (in no particular order) for: Helm Hammerhand, Háma, Héra, Haleth, and Fréaláf Hildeson. Leaders could also include the mysterious Olwyn who features as a supporter or advisor to Héra in some of the scenes in the recently released Japanese trailer.
UPDATE
TORn Staffer Ostadan wrote to me to suggest that the new edition will very probably be rolled out with a new ‘Starter’ set (like the Battle for Osgiliath set of a few years ago). He said that “most of the game’s fans seem to think that this new starter will be between Rohan and Dunlending factions. This is not a certainty, but does seem likely.”
I certainly agree this makes a lot of sense. It would mean additional fiugures such as Freca (Helm’s father), the General Taarg, and the bald fellow whose name escapes me right now. Probably a mish-mash of Wulf’s folk, Dunlendings and Haradrim/Corsair (I’ve now seen the offical coloring book calling them Southrons) mercenaries. And perhaps a Mûmakil.
Wulf on foot. Courtesy: Games Workshop.Mounted Wulf. Courtesy: Games Workshop.
Plus even more War of the Rohirrim tie-in merch from Harper Collins
That’s not all!
In case you missed it, Harper Collins is also releasing three tie-in books that are now available for pre-order on both the HC site, and on Amazomg. (NB: at the time of writing, Amazon seems to have Falconer’s Art book on sale.)
The Art of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim By Daniel Falconer. 256pp. Releases February 25, 2025
A comprehensive, large-format hardcover offering unparalleled insight into the making of The War of the Rohirrim, and the complete creative journey from concept to finished film told by the artists and filmmakers themselves. Cover art not yet available.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Visual Companion By Chris Smith. 96pp. Releases November 5, 2024.
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 fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, 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. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
With a cast of exciting and original characters, and a mix of locations both familiar and new, this dramatic new standalone story weaves another thread in the grand tapestry of Middle-earth. Lavishly illustrated with breathtaking art and imagery, The War of the Rohirrim: Official Visual Companion is the ultimate introduction to every character, creature and location you will encounter in this epic adventure from the official Lord of the Rings saga.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Official Coloring Book By Warner Bros. 80pp. Releases November 5, 2024.
Experience the valiant spirit of Rohan’s warriors defending their homeland against the forces of darkness as you color these breathtaking scenes featuring all the characters, creatures, and landscapes from the new Lord of the Rings movie. Return to Middle-earth and begin a brand-new coloring adventure, from the splendor of the Golden Hall atop Edoras, to the breathtaking landscapes of Rohan, and ancient fortress of the Hornburg.
As well as dramatic scenes from this exciting new installment in the Lord of the Rings movie saga, you can color all of its heroes and villains, including Rohan’s legendary king, Helm Hammerhand, his intrepid daughter, Héra, and her brothers Haleth and Háma, Lord Freca and his son, Wulf, the warlike Southrons and iconic creatures such as the monstrous mûmakil and the savage snow-troll.
Now that the trailer for The War Of The Rohirrim is out, and a wider audience has been able to see footage, the thoughts of some of us return to Stephen Gallagher’s score. And Galllagher has, in fact, been very busy while we’ve all been staring at animation and musing aobut character designs. TORn Discord moderator Lasswen is here with the low-down.
The Sounds Of The Rohirrim: Gallagher Concludes Scoring; Big Tip on End-song Vocalist?
by TORn Discord moderator Lasswen
Trailer 1 began with Howard Shore’s iconic theme for Rohan, but then merged into what seemed to be somewhat generic trailer music.
While it was quite awesome and not out of place, it seems we are yet to hear any new music for Rohan. In June, Staffer Demosthenes published this report on the scoring to that point in time.
Let’s take a look at what has been happening since.
Again, Instagram is our friend. We are very much appreciative of Gallagher and others who have posted about their work so we can follow the journey.
In the later part of June, Gallagher travelled to England. While there was no mention of recording sessions, he did state that there was more music to score and record. At the end of July there was another update: he was nearing the finishing line of the score.
August saw a lot more activity, starting with the final round of recording in New Zealand, with Stroma Ensemble.
That included at least harp (with a small and orchestra-sized harp) and the return of Tudor Consort for additional choral recording. The inclusion of a small harp has me curious about the potential for maybe an accompanied vocal song, or a poignant scene with a singular instrument for a different sort of emotional effect than a large orchestra.
The final run of recording saw Mark Willsher (music producer and mixer, pin3hot) joining remotely from England, but then the recording sessions swapped to London and it was Gallagher that was joining remotely from New Zealand.
The three days of London recording included brass, taiko, timpani, and more crumhorns and shawms. It’s interesting that the shawms worked from the trumpet score, and transposed on sight for this final session, perhaps indicating it was a late decision to try a different sound than originally conceptualised, or to add shawms on top of the trumpets.
Something that does not seem to have occurred (as yet) that was alluded to back in mid-June was more recording in/from Mexico, presumably for more hardanger fiddle from Karen Bentley Pollick.
Yet, that’s not quite the end of it!
In recent days I spotted a mysterious credit on IMDb for “London Voices … choir theme song”. So, if there’s a theme song who could be a soloist to sing on that theme song? It seems we may actually have an answer for that! Staffer Kellie from Happy Hobbitwas the first to make the connection: the theme song for War Of The Rohirrim may be sung by Paris Paloma, after the singer shared the trailer.
Paloma’s songs often convey powerful messages on women’s issues, and with Héra as its protagonist, she seems like a good fit for a War Of The Rohirrim theme song. For now, this is unconfirmed and speculation.
However, one notes that WOTR writer Arty Papageorgiou has been following Paloma for a few months now. Additionally, the singer seems to already have a fondness for anime with a scene from Howl’s Moving Castle providing some inspiration for another song, as well including an iconic John Howe Gandalf imagine in an picture dump at the start of the month.
Now that we have reached this point, just what do we know about the score for War Of The Rohirrim?
Orchestra instrumentation includes typical woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion
Some unusual medieval instruments such as crumhorns and shawms are also present
There will be a choral section (editor’s note: chorals seemed prevalent in the trailer, but maybe that’s just me)
The iconic sound of Rohan from the Jackson films returns with the hardanger fiddle
Japanese taiko drums and Tibetan singing bowls are being used
There may or may not be Éowyn playing cowbell (at least that’s what I keep saying about Gallagher’s Weta epic mini being in most of his Insta pics hehe)
It appears there will be a theme song, possibly sung by Paris Paloma
Gallagher posted on August 28 that scoring had wrapped, so now we await hearing the results of all the talented musicians in bringing this new imagining of the sounds of Rohan to life.
About the author: Lasswen is a former primary and classroom music teacher, who played bass clarinet in high school and community concert bands. As well as being a long-time player of Lord Of The Rings Online, Lasswen makes use of the game’s music system to arrange and perform music in virtual Middle-earth.
The article contains some fascinating quotes from key members of the recently announced Japanese voice cast. I’m using good ol’ Google translate so I cannot attest to complete accuracy of translation, but let’s break it down.
First, there’s some background on the Japanese trailer acknowleging it’s unsual difference fgrom the US domestic version:
…in order to convey the worldview of “Lord of the Rings” to fans around the world, including in Japan, a Japanese version trailer with different content was released simultaneously worldwide, which is an unusual move.
AV mentions a handful of stand-out details from the JP trailer:
In the video, we can see the horn, the great eagle, Mumakir, orcs, and even Saruman the White and the Horn Castle, all familiar to “Lord of the Rings” fans. At the end, “someone” appears who is collecting golden rings, reminiscent of the “One Ring.”
Opinion seems to be firming around the idea that the figure with the pouch of rings, collecting them from corpses on a winter battlefield, is an orc whose name is Rot (the unconfirmed Japanese romanisation is “Lot.”). We don’t know for certain, but it seems a logical conclusion that this is some sort of free-lance servant or agent of Mordor — since he asks “What would Mordor want with rings?” A Nazgul wouldn’t ask such questions, nor a close servant like Mouth of Sauron. However, it’s worth remembering that, in The Two Towers, Grishnákh seems aware that there are Rings of Power.
The thought came suddenly into Pippin’s mind, as if caught direct from the urgent thought of his enemy: ‘Grishnákh knows about the Ring! He’s looking for it, while Uglúk is busy: he probably wants it for himself.’ Cold fear was in Pippin’s heart, yet at the same time he was wondering what use he could make of Grishnákh’s desire.
This is never more fully explained, but Pippin’s conclusion seems correct: at least some orcs know about Rings. How and when did they discover this knowledge is an interesting question.
Anyway, we’ll return to this Rot/Lot individual shortly.
The article then focuses on the cast, revealing some interesting details:
Takako Honda, who voiced Éowyn in the Japanese dub of “Lord of the Rings,” will play Olwyn, who supports Princess Hela [sic]. In the subtitled version, Miranda Otto, who also gave a passionate performance as Éowyn, will play Olwyn, making this a timeless collaboration.
Olwyn may be this character on the left of Héra, who is also seen in a scene on the Deeping Wall during the siege of the Hornburg. It appears that Otto is doing double duty voicing both Éowyn and Olwyn. Honda may be doing the same. It’s a little unclear.
…the role of Lot, an orc who is an important character in the story, will be played by Manabu Muraji, who was the Japanese voice actor for Meriadoc Brandybuck, played by Dominic Monaghan in “Lord of the Rings.” And the role of Rohan’s servant Leaf will be played by Jun Tatani, who played Hiccup in “How to Train Your Dragon” and also appeared in Kenji Kamiyama’s “Eden of the East.”
Leaf is probably the young … page/squire on the left. This shot shows the Olwyn character on the right much better.
The article then has some interesting comments from some of the Japanese voice cast.
The character I play, King Helm, is so strong that he is called the “Hammer King” because he can knock down enemies with just one fist. Just recording the voiceover for this trailer required so much energy that I lost my voice. This film depicts the emotional drama of King Helm and Princess Hera. As a parent of two children myself, I think there are parts of the story I can empathize with.
Loss and grief is such a prominent part of this tale. First, Wulf, through the death of his father, Freca. Then later, Helm grapples with loss as well after the deaths of his sons Haleth and Hama. Appendix A describes how he grows “gaunt with famine and grief” and when I spoke to Philippa Boyens back in 2022 she mentioned “the madness born of grief from the loss of a child” while we were discussing the role of Helm. She says she “saw the tales of him slipping out during the siege [of the Hornburg] and attacking the camp for his people as literally someone trying to — even with their bare hands — protect the people as the king should.”
Fuka Koshiba as Héra
Princess Hera was raised with the love of her father, King Helm, and is a dignified woman who is adept at riding horses and swordsmanship. Although she is hesitant at first, she is a strong-willed character who faces the crisis of the kingdom as a princess to protect her people, with a sense of responsibility and determination. The main dubbing of the film is still a little ways off, but I think that fans of The Lord of the Rings, as well as those who are watching the series for the first time, will enjoy it.
I find it interesting that Koshiba decribes Héra as “hesistant at first” yet faces “crisis of the kingdom as a princess to protect her people”. There’s also a snatch of dialogue in the trailer with someone, possibly Olwyn, seeming to implore her: “People need hope, Héra.”
That seems to me unlike Éowyn, who yearns for battle. In fact, as a described, she puts me more in mind of Frodo’s uncertainty when Gandalf tells him the truth of the One Ring: “I suppose I must go alone, if I am to do that and save the Shire. But I feel very small, and very uprooted, and well – desperate. The Enemy is so strong and terrible.”
Also, taking both Ichimura’s and Koshiba’s comments together, it seems that the Japanese cast has only just begun their work, and perhaps even have only voiced the trailer so far.
The appeal of Director Kenji Kamiyama is that he has created an entertaining work that anyone can enjoy while incorporating complex and philosophical elements. Wulf, the character I play, is not just a villain, but a character with his own reasons and drama.
This supports Philippa Boyens’ telling TORn that they have viewed Wulf as a complex character in his own right, and that they’ve been interested in exploring why Wulf chose to act as he did: “Wulf, if he’d made the right choices, it would have been a different story. He doesn’t. He makes other choices, and they’re very interesting choices – and where those choices come from is really fascinating. He’s one of my favourite characters ever that we’ve ever created.”
It’s been almost a quarter century since the first trilogy, in which I voiced Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) in Japanese, was released in 2001. I’m really happy to have been able to continue to be involved in the world of The Lord of the Rings in various ways during that time. This film depicts the battle in Rohan, a place that has a special connection to Merry, and I’m grateful to Dominic Monaghan for playing a role that’s completely different from his previous roles! I hope you’ll come to the theater to see his transformation!!
It seems that Muraji was chosen because he’d done a voice role dubbing Dominic Monaghan before. Further, saying he’s grateful to Monaghan for “playing a role that’s completely different” pretty much confirms that the English VA for Lot/Rot is none other than Mr Dominic Monaghan. TORn Staffer Justin was on the money during our trailer breakdown chat earlier today.
Taya Hayato as Leaf
I will be playing the role of Leaf, who is Héra’s servant. Although he is a little timid, he is a kind-hearted boy who tries his best to support Héra as she walks through her cruel destiny.
It’s very interesting to hear it called a cruel destiny, rather than a heroic one. Again, to me, this sounds like Héra is more called by necessity than driven by inner-purpose. Or, to quote Gandalf and Frodo yet again:
‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given, us.
Warner Bros. Animation is already rolling out short ads on Tik Tok and Twitter in support of the Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The first US domestic trailer debuted less than two days ago, closely followed by a trailer specifically for Japan featuring a dub cast of Japanese seiyuu (do watch the Japan trailer it has extra stuff!).
Check out this Tik Tok short below.
The ads all lead to a newly launched single-page minisite for The War of the Rohirrim — https://www.lotrthewaroftherohirrim.com/ which currently features the US trailer, and a synopsis with the current English-language voice cast.
Trailer 1 for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is here! It looks … well, it looks pretty fine I think. If you haven’t seen it yourself, check out our trailer post here!
I’ve been chatting with Staffer Kelvarhin about it the last little while, and here are some of our thoughts. This is not a frame-by-frame breakdown, just some talking points that interested us.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Interesting callbacks to the original LOTR films, shown at the start of the video. The white horse of Hera and Hera’s entrance into Meduseld, harking back to Gandalf on Shadowfax and Aragorn’s entrance to the hall at Helm’s Deep. Couldn’t make out if Hera says the name of her horse, maybe something we’ll see/hear in other trailers maybe? Are they setting up this horse as a possible forefather of Shadowfax, an early Mearas?
Staffer Demosthenes
Addressing the second thing first: it could be that Hera’s horse is one of the Mearas. I hadn’t considered that. Note, she does state later “I am the fastest rider” and that could well explain why. At the time of the War of the Ring, no other horse possessed Shadowfax’s speed or endurance.
Did you like the callback intro? It’s a very unusual way to open, but then this is an unusual project too.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Not really, I thought it was a weird way to promote a new film. Why waste screen time on a previous film that’s set hundreds of years after the new one?
Staffer Demosthenes
It’s an easy hook and that scene of Otto on Mt Sunday looking out over the valley is iconic Rohan – especially coupled with Shore’s leitmotif. Only the Pelennor charge beats it, I think, but the Pelennor charge is not a good link: we need a link to place, not to action. That being said, Helm and friends later seem to echo the Pelennor charge in a desperate defence outside Edoras’ walls. But I think we all know that charge will end in failure.
Staffer Kelvarhin
They’re really playing into Peter Jackson’s involvement with this film, reflecting on past glories, for both Producer and Middle-earth/Rohirrim.
Staffer Demosthenes
I don’t love this. I mean, I know what they’re doing from a marketing perspective: they have all of 10 secs or so to hook casuals, and a big neon PETER JACKSON is very likely the most-effective hook. However, Kenji Kamiyama is a storied director of anime in his own right; I don’t love that WB feels he needs to be propped up. That being said, if the decision was put on me I’d probably (grumpily) do the same out of commercial practicality. Philippa Boyens also probably deserves more recognition for carrying the project.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Yeah, I’m not a great fan of it either. This is supposed to be a stand-alone film, maybe let it stand on its own merits. I thought it was strange emphasising Peter Jackson over Kenji Kamiyama. It just felt like they’re trying to appeal to the LOTR film fans, which is why I mentioned “past glories”.
Staffer Demosthenes
At the same time, they’re echoing visuals and Otto is even reprising Eowyn. That all feels fine and logical and justified. I guess we both just think the recent elevation of Jackson in the pecking order is a bit … cold-blooded?
Staffer Kelvarhin
Yep.
I’m not really very knowledgeable about anime, so I don’t know if this is normal for that form of animation, but I’m really having a problem with the way the animals move, it just looks unusual to me, not quite natural. So, saying, when standing still the horses look pretty good.
Staffer Demosthenes
Animating horses is super-hard. Kamiyama and producer Joseph Chou have both talked about this and the amount of effort they’ve had to put into it. I thought it looked okay – I liked the charge from behind with the hooves throwing up clods of dirt. To me it compares well vs Attack on Titan S2.
AOT “cheats” and cuts the challenging lower half of the horse a fair bit. It will be interesting to see how much WOTR emulates this trick. I can’t think of other recent examples of horses in anime off the top of my head.
But maybe it’s not so good and I’m going crazy?
Staffer Kelvarhin
No, it just stood out for me as I’m not used to anime. My son loves anime and he thinks they look fine.
Staffer Demosthenes
It does have to appeal to people not used to anime, though. I think the greater than normal detail in the character designs is part of this effort. Much anime, especially TV anime, stylises character faces substantially (in part to reduce the volume of work). The colour palette is not too vivid, too. And the action and sound design is pretty realistic and grounded. That killer punch from Helm is heavy but, not you know, over the top? In fact all the human on human fights appeared realistic to me.
Staffer Kelvarhin
The inside of Meduseld looks pretty bloody good, the details are spot on. Love the fretwork details on the window when Hera is telling Wulf she doesn’t want to marry her. One little criticism though, women in those times, both real and fictional, did not get a say in who they would marry. It was decided by their fathers, especially in Royal families, where marriage alliances were very much the norm. She might not have wanted to marry the man chosen for her, but she wouldn’t have spoken out against it, she’d have abided by her father’s will, as that’s how she would’ve been raised. This scene came across as a bit too modern as to how she would have reacted. She might have railed to her maids, but not in public, and definitely not to her intended suitor.
Staffer Demosthenes
Did you notice that the portrayal here is that Wulf and Hera are childhood friends? It’s especially obvious with that pair of fight scenes. First they are sparring as youths, then (obviously years later) at Helm’s Deep they’re playing for keeps.
I initially wondered (because a lot of this is out of sequence) if Wulf approached Hera privately first. But now I see that can’t be the case given the dialogue. It looks like they have a chat while everyone else is filing outside for the fateful fist fight.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Yeah, I did. Bit of an intriguing dynamic.
Staffer Demosthenes
I think a lot will anchor on that dynamic. I did like the voices of Gaia Wise (Hera) and Luke Pasqualino (Wulf). Emotion, but not over the top. I feel like I need to hear more of Brian Cox (Helm) to judge him right now.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Visually it’s quite stunning, a lovely renditioning of the Middle-earth we’ve always known in the LOTR films.
Staffer Demosthenes
Did you notice the contrast of scenes that are green/sunny and those that are obviously deep within winter? That really stood out to me.
I also had some concerns about background blending after WB released their fourth still: it showed Hera riding through forest and the background seemed a bit “real”, as it were. But in motion it looks fine.
What stood out for you?
Staffer Kelvarhin
I was more taken by the scenery, especially the shot where she’s on her horse and there’s a plain and mountains behind her. I found it stunning, it would make a wonderful poster.
Staffer Demosthenes
There are some easter eggs.
Staffer Kelvarhin
A nod back to the LOTR films, with Helm saying, “You know nothing of war”. It’s almost identical to what Eomer says to Eowyn at the Dimholt. Hera’s response is almost the same as Arwen’s to Aragorn when she takes Frodo to Rivendell. These things probably won’t be noticed by casual fans/viewers, but for long time LOTR/Tolkien fans, who are notorious for picking up on these things, they’ll be pointing/yelling at the screen over these lol.
Staffer Demosthenes
Haha I missed that! I don’t watch the PJ films very much, tbh. If it was a book quote I probably would have picked it right away. Some nerdy book things I wonder: will they call it Helm’s Deep, or its original name, Suthburg? Will Freca and his folk have their own burg, or will they inhabit Isengard for narrative convenience?
Actually, it looks as though they are opting for Hornburg. Fair, i guess.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Is the head-dress/tiara Hera’s wearing the same as the one Eowyn wore?
Staffer Demosthenes
This one? From the TT EE (I think) funeral scene?
It looks different to me. I think they carry the same sword, though Greendragon disagrees with me and says it’s Thoeden’s .. Herugrim? We’ll see who’s right!
Speaking of headwear, did you notice that the band/crown that Helm wears is later being worn by Wulf as he and Hera fight. That scene is definitely at Helm’s Deep. Wulf might not actually take it from Helm, I think. I think it’ll just be part of the spoils from capturing Edoras.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Oh, I missed Wulf’s headgear! I think another rematch is coming up lol.
Staffer Demosthenes
I think Helm will still freeze to death outside the Hornburg. We get hints of that in the desperation of some of the later winter scenes I think.
Staffer Kelvarhin
I’m a bit confused about the rings bit at the end, none of the Rohirrim were ever given a ring of power, so why bring them into this? It’s a little bit distracting.
Staffer Demosthenes
It feels provocative. Certainly the Rohirrim have no involvement with, nor knowledge of, the rings of power. However, I can offer a possibility.
We know there is a character called Lord Frygt (voiced by Alex Jordan) in the film but we know nothing of his role. Scandinavian friends tell me that Frygt is a Danish word that means “fear”.
Now, we know that Wulf makes a terrible decision or bargain at some point that changes everything. In an interview with me (that now feels almost an age ago), Philippa said: “And there’s a moment in the film, which is incredibly gut-wrenching and powerful where Wulf commits himself to a course of action he cannot turn away from. And once he does that, the story darkens.”
I think it may be that this Lord Frygt is some servant of Sauron seeking rings for him. Some quick fact-checking reveals that The White Council became aware Sauron was seeking The One in TA2939, long after the events of the Helm-Wulf war, but when did Sauron *begin* searching? I can’t find a precise date and I think that’s an exploitable loophole.
What sort of servant? Well, a Nazgul wouldn’t ask questions like “what would Mordor want with rings?” But Sauron has many servants, some of them men. Wulf wants Rohan, and revenge. For that he needs an army. What if Wulf and this servant were to conveniently meet and strike a Faustian bargain. The price of the assistance that Wulf gains for his bid for the throne is … rings? (I had originally thought that the whole Wulf-hires-mercenaries-thing was completely independent of Mordor, but now I’m reconsidering: it may be more an arm’s length affair.)
Mordor (often via the Wiki) moved against the Free Peoples in this sort of fashion quite a lot during the later parts of the Third Age. If that’s the logic, then I can see it working.
But maybe I’m crazy. 😊
Staffer Kelvarhin
Interesting use of the original soundtrack at the start of the trailer, I think it’s what affected my appreciation of the original music that followed.
As, while the soundtrack is reminiscent of the LOTR soundtrack, with the choral arrangements, it didn’t feel quite as awe inspiring/gut-wrenching as the original. Admittedly it is a little hard to give a definitive opinion based on a 2-minute trailer, so I’ll reserve judgement for now. I did like what I heard and would like to hear more, but I wasn’t blown away.
Staffer Demosthenes
I noticed some Taiko-like drum sounds. I did like the vocal choir stuff. But maybe because it reminds me just a little of Kenji Kawai’s opening theme for Ghost in the Shell (the animated movie, not Kamiyama’s later TV series).
There was a lot of choir in that two minutes. I wonder if that’s going to be a trend for the entire film.
Did you like what you saw? Did it intrigue you, and would you go see this film?
Staffer Kelvarhin
I was intrigued by what I saw, it could be interesting to see how the story, as they’ve set it up, pans out. Not sure if I would pay to see it at the cinema or just wait for it to be streamed though. If my kids want to go and see it, I’ll probably take them. How about you? What was your overall impression of the trailer? Will you go and see it?
Staffer Demosthenes
I’ve been wanting to see finished animation for The War of the Rohirrim for yonks. Descriptions out of Annecy and SDCC, while cool in themselves, aren’t especially useful for forming a personal judgement. Stills will only get you so far. You need to see it moving.
Now, with a teaser in hand that combines action and dialogue and sound, it’s the moment of truth. (well, the first of them.)
As someone who does watch a fair bit of anime, it was reassuring: although I wish it was a little more fluid in character animation, it’s still very solid. The character designs look good (quite detailed, too, and that increases the level of work for staff) and move well. The horses feel like almost like a triumph – I loved the clods of earth the charge we saw was throwing up; very dynamic — given the difficulty of that task. And the backgrounds don’t jar by looking too real/photorealistic.
Fights feel realistic and don’t indulge in over the top physics — something that is fine for, say, Demon Slayer, but would be I think would run counter to the general tone of Middle-earth. It fits the world that it’s meant to be portraying.
This is crucial: It sounds and looks and feels like Middle-earth.
If there’s one thing I’m not sure about, it’s the Watcher-like creature. I don’t love monsters for the sake of them and it’s a long way from Moria to Rohan. Perhaps there’s a good contextual explanation, though.
I’ve always really liked the Helm story – it might be my favourite one out of the appendices. I can see the bones of that story here: the marriage proposal, the fight, and the consequences that follow for Rohan and its various people.
The trailer teases later events and the Hornburg climax without revealing it fully. If you don’t already know the Helm story, or what happens to Helm and his family, this trailer is a bit of a mystery actually!
The first trailer for the highly anticipated movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has dropped – and it is going to make fans very excited! You’ll want to watch it right away:
Staffers at TheOneRing.net are abuzz over this trailer. We’ll be bringing you our reactions (including some below), but first, let’s look at what the official press release has to say:
Héra voiced by GAIA WISE in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, a Warner Bros. pictures release. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
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”).
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 fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, 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. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
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.
A New Line Cinema Presentation, a Warner Bros. Animation / Sola Entertainment Production, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” will be distributed theatrically worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, released in cinemas nationwide on December 13, 2024, and internationally beginning 11 December 2024.
Héra voiced by GAIA WISE in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, a Warner Bros. pictures release. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Staffer greendragon has a few preliminary thoughts:
Actually I’m kind of speechless! WHAT a trailer. Chills and excitement. Cannot wait to visit this version of Middle-earth; PJ’s vision but now through the eyes of Kenji Kamiyama. Thrilling.
0.01 Hello old friend. It’s been so long since we’ve had a trailer with these sounds, with these visuals… I’m kind of ridiculously emotional.
0.04 In case you had any doubt whose version of Middle-earth this is…
0.16 Yes please. I want to go there.
0.23 This is a beautiful shot; and cleverly brings us right into Kamiyama’s visual world. “OK, you love how Peter Jackson brought Tolkien’s realm to life; but check out THIS version of it!”
0.44 Breathtakingly beautiful.
0.55 It is so fun seeing the Golden Hall – familiar but also new.
01.18 Well that’s the exposition covered then…
01.19 Seriously, it is crazy how emotional this makes me. And sure, maybe this trailer overplays that, and rather manipulates us. But I’m ok with that; I have so many happy memories of looking forward to revisiting PJ’s version of Middle-earth in the holiday season. (I wonder if The Hunt for Gollum will also end up with a holiday release date? December 2026, maybe…?)
01.28 Echoes of Theoden; reminds me of ‘What can men do against such reckless hate?’
01.33 Not sure about Héra’s outfit; it looks strangely space-age in this shot. Makes me think of cartoons like ‘Battle of the Planets’. But, it will probably read differently in the context of the film.
01.39 This is a very cool visual. I don’t know enough about anime to know how this effect is achieved, but it reminds me a bit of the blend of styles in Bakshi’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
01.46 The eagles are coming!
01.50 Is this THE Watcher in the Water, or just A Watcher in the Water? If it’s the one, why is Héra in Moria?
01.54 Now that’s interesting – that shot totally reminds me of Galadriel climbing ice in Season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Intentional or just serendipity?
02.14 I love the 3D effect of the title.
02.17 An orc gathering rings as Sauron searches for the One! Will this be our only glimpse of anything to do with the Ring legend…? And also, is that Andy Serkis’ voice I hear?
Wow. So excited for this movie.
Staffer Demosthenes here:
I’ve been wanting to see finished animation for The War of the Rohirrim for yonks. Descriptions out of Annecy and SDCC, while cool in themselves, aren’t especially useful for forming a personal judgement. Stills will only get you so far. You need to see it moving.
Now, with a teaser in hand that combines action and dialogue and sound, it’s the moment of truth. (well, the first of them.)
As someone who does watch a fair bit of anime, it was reassuring: although I wish it was a little more fluid in character animation, it’s still very solid. The character designs look good (quite detailed, too, and that increases the level of work for staff) and move well. The horses feel almost like a triumph – I loved the clods of earth the charge we saw was throwing up; very dynamic — given the difficulty of that task. And the backgrounds don’t jar by looking too real/photorealistic.
Fights feel realistic and don’t indulge in over the top physics — something that is fine for, say, Demon Slayer, but would be, I think, counter to the general tone of Middle-earth. It fits the world that it’s meant to be portraying.
This is crucial: it sounds and looks and feels like Middle-earth.
If there’s one thing I’m not sure about, it’s the Watcher-like creature. I don’t love monsters for the sake of them and it’s a long way from Moria to Rohan. Perhaps there’s a good contextual explanation, though.
I’ve always really liked the Helm story – it might be my favourite one out of the appendices. I can see the bones of that story here: the marriage proposal, the fight, and the consequences that follow for Rohan and its various people.
The trailer teases later events and the Hornburg climax without revealing it fully. If you don’t already know the Helm story, or what happens to Helm and his family, this trailer is a bit of a mystery actually!
I’m keen to see it all unfold on screen.
By-the-by, industry talk is that in the USA, Rohirrim trailer is attached to Beetlejuice. Can’t confirm that, but that’s the rumour.
(L-r) Wulf voiced by LUKE PASQUALINO and General Targg voiced by MICHAEL WILDMAN in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, a Warner Bros. pictures release. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. also announced today that they will be attending New York ComicCon. We’ll also be hosting a War of the Rohirrim panel at DragonCon next week, complete with an interview with producer Jason DeMarco. News on all these happenings soon!
