{"id":118717,"date":"2024-06-11T13:14:15","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T18:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/?p=118717"},"modified":"2024-06-11T13:23:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T18:23:22","slug":"the-war-of-the-rohirrim-analysing-the-first-look-images","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/2024\/06\/11\/118717-the-war-of-the-rohirrim-analysing-the-first-look-images\/","title":{"rendered":"The War of the Rohirrim: analysing the \u201cfirst look\u201d images"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We now have our first released art for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Not concept art, but final stills of animation that gives us a concrete idea of the visual style and tone that Kenji Kamiyama and his team have settled on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems to me that it hits an aesthetic that straddles the eastern and western animation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a naturalistic feel to the character designs that feels very grounded and without exaggeration. Eyes aren\u2019t distractingly wide, chins aren\u2019t overly pointed, limbs and heads all feel well-proportioned. The colours are solid and rich, but not distractingly glossy or saturated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps it helps that the expressions say \u201cserious business\u201d (we\u2019ll return to that, too).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps that says more about my own tastes in anime than anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also seen a couple of people who were at Annecy reference Castlevania as an animation touchstone. I don\u2019t really see it, but perhaps I need to watch more Castlevania.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So I love the character designs, but now I really want to see how they move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before I delve into each of the images in more detail, if you have yet to read Staffer Greendragon’s interview with Philippa Boyen’s<\/a>, don’t forget!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The War of the Rohirrim animation still: H\u00e9ra<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
H\u00c9RA voiced by GAIA WISE in New Line Cinema\u2019s and Warner Bros. Animation\u2019s epic anime adventure \u201cTHE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM,\u201d a Warner Bros. Pictures release.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Okay, so first because I can see the name complainers arriving en-masse already: go read my interview with Philippa Boyens<\/a> \u2013 the name is \u201cnot so much based on the Greek [goddess] Hera, but a nod to the Anglo-Saxon [word].\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

H\u00e9ra is ourpoint-of-view character. Makes sense given everyone frigging dies. But what\u2019s going on here? Where is it? Let\u2019s attack that second point first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a dark scene. Perhaps sometime in the evening? It must be winter (or approaching it) because of the snow. Maybe the lighting is torchlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a ramp and a wall which makes me wonder if it could be (what shall be known in the future as) Helm\u2019s Deep<\/strong>. But the rope and the wooden structure on the ramp behind H\u00e9ra don\u2019t match. PJ\u2019s Hornburg had a gate, but not a drawbridge. PJ\u2019s ramp\/causeway was also quite steep and curved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, I think we can dismiss it being before the gate to the Hornburg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe it\u2019s further out \u2013 Helm\u2019s Dike. I think Tolkien described Helm\u2019s Dike as a ditch and a rampart, with a breach in it for the stream and the road to pass through. There\u2019s a map on Tolkien Gateway that shows where it would be located<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it were Helm\u2019s Dike that might better explain the wooden structures. And the hutlike structure behind Hera might be a guard hut on the roadside. It would actually be quite a neat (read \u201cnerdy\u201d) detail if it were Helm\u2019s Dike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it might also be Edoras<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PJ doesn\u2019t give Edoras a lot of quarried stone \u2014 notably the foundation of Meduseld itself, and the base of the outer defensive fence (topped with a wooden palisade).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That makes the stone wall we can see behind a puzzle to explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, from a certain angle at the top of Edoras, but just below the Hall itself, you should be able to see the valley cliffs in the distance. That fits with the transition from the wall edge to the cliff that we in our animated still. Hopefully the images below help convey that. I wasn\u2019t able to find the exact same angle though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But Edoras has a dirt path with concluding stairs, not a stone ramp. And the hut isn\u2019t there on that angle. Instead, it\u2019s a wooden lookout tower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Architectural details might change over time though. Especially after a siege\/sacking \u2014 and, spoiler, Edoras is set to cop it in WOTR. So I don\u2019t know if these are significant objections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if it is just below the Golden Hall, why is the horse in the background? The stables are not directly attached to the Hall and there\u2019s no room for additional buildings on the Hall plinth. It\u2019s a puzzle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It could be lower down in the town somewhere, perhaps. The outermost fence seems difficult though because I think the wall would always obscure any wide panorama that would reveal the valley cliffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I can\u2019t find any image that suggests that PJ chose to place an inner wall anywhere in Edoras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t think it could possibly be either Isengard, or Dunharrow. There are probably no other options within the context of WOTR.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Action<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

H\u00e9ra is challenging someone, but it doesn\u2019t seem to be a life-or-death situation: the blonde fellow behind her is watching, but not alarmed. There\u2019s a dog at the top of the ramp, but it doesn\u2019t seem frightened either. The figures to the left do seem wary about whatever is happening, but aren\u2019t moving to attack. The bonemasks that obscure their faces bear some resemblance of the helms of Isengard\u2019s orc berserkers \u2014 as though they\u2019re some primitive antecedent.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Orcs would probably be a scene of great violence, though. This seems more like a standoff\/negotiation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So perhaps they are actually Dunlendings. Yes, PJ\u2019s Dunlending are universally bareheaded. But they\u2019re also pretty rough and ready looking, and carry very primitive spears. I see one of our bonemask fellows bearing a similarly primitive spear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So maybe they are accompanying Wulf\/Freca to Meduseld at the beginning of the film. Perhaps the individual whom we cannot see is either Freca or Wulf, pressing an unwelcome suit before the all-important council meeting that kicks everything off?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weapon<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, there\u2019s the sword that H\u00e9ra wields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wonder if it might be \u00c9owyn\u2019s sword, mostly based on the way the blade narrows from hilt to tip. Also, it just seems kinda apt. My learned colleague ( \ud83d\ude42 ), Staffer Greendragon, thinks it\u2019s Theoden\u2019s sword<\/a> \u2014 Herugrim \u2014 because of the hilt shape and the double horse motif. And it\u2019s an heirloom sword. Both options seem possible to me in the absence of a definitive comment from production, or alternate angles to examine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The War of the Rohirrim animation still: The Gathering in<\/strong> Meduseld<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
(L-R) H\u00c9RA Voiced by GAIA WISE, HELM HAMMERHAND voiced by BRIAN COX, HALETH Voiced by BENJAMIN WAINWRIGHT and HAMA voiced by YAZDAN QAFOURI in New Line Cinema\u2019s and Warner Bros. Animation\u2019s epic anime adventure \u201cTHE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM,\u201d a Warner Bros. Pictures release.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Character design observations<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I suspect this one is supposed to give us a feel for character art style, as well as Helm\u2019s family. In some ways this is all a family affair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Helm is a little less grim-looking than I expected. He looks quite noble, and is powerfully built. His hands, formed into fists, could probably break Orthanc itself.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Haleth looks about Eomer\u2019s (Karl Urban) age. Looks very serious.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • H\u00e9ra actually seems older than \u00c9owyn and maybe the eldest, even. She sits at the right hand of Helm, traditionally a more important position than the left? Right-hand man and all that.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Hama seems a late teen. Something about his manner suggests that He\u2019s probably the reckless one\/has something to prove which explains his death during a \u201csortie\u201d while Helm\u2019s Deep is besieged.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Helm\u2019s children are all older than I expected as well \u2013 except Hama, perhaps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Action<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It looks as though they are receiving an embassy. Initially I thought it might be that of Freca, but having read some reports on the content of the Annecy footage, I now wonder if it\u2019s the emissary from Gondor that\u2019s been mentioned in some places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The War of the Rohirrim animation still: Wulf<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"
    WULF voiced by LUKE PASQUALINO New Line Cinema\u2019s and Warner Bros. Animation\u2019s epic anime adventure \u201cTHE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM,\u201d a Warner Bros. Pictures release.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Character design observation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Knowing it\u2019s Wulf takes the fun out of guessing, but the dark hair is typical of Dunlending ancestry. I do wonder how he gained the scar over the right eye. There must be an explanation for that at some point, for sure. Who, or what, was he fighting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Location<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stonework in the background could be Edoras, or it could be Helm\u2019s Deep (besieging it). Really hard to say. The ropes around the wooden structure behind Wulf seem like some sort of temporary structure however. They could be siege-works. The concept art for the fall of Edoras (now well over two years old!) seems more indicative of a short, brutal siege led by the Mumakil not an extended one that requires siege-works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Also it is winter though and it is snowing, and the siege of Helm\u2019s Deep occurred during the Long Winter that was notably harsh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Detail<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I like the blurring on the snowflakes. It makes me wonder if they\u2019ve filmed a snowfall and slipped that footage in \u2013 it doesn\u2019t look like animation motions smears to me. But perhaps I\u2019m wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    We now have our first released art for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":118713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":false,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3925,392],"tags":[4233,4234,3766,3871,3854,4232,2864],"class_list":["post-118717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-war-of-the-rohirrim","category-warner-bros","tag-haleth","tag-helm","tag-helm-hammerhand","tag-hera","tag-the-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim","tag-warner-bros-animation-2","tag-warner-bros"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/DTN_A_0089_t7-00001.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1tLoH-uSN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118717"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":118729,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118717\/revisions\/118729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/118713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}