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The Lord of the Ringsfranchise is all set to enter a new realm of storytelling with the anime filmThe War of the Rohirrim.After the glorious re-releases of the Peter Jackson trilogy, the upcoming addition to the franchise is a prequel project and will be set 183 years before the films.
A still fromThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim[Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]The first 20 minutes ofThe War of the Rohirrimwas recently shown at the Annecy Animation Festival. It received a roaring response from the Festival crowd for its outstanding visuals and art style. Fans also took over the internet to rave about the impressive new character looks.
The Lord of the Rings‘ upcoming anime film looks promising
Hèra inThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim[Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]WithPeter Jacksonand Fran Walsh attached as executive producers,The War of the Rohirrimwill be directed by Kenji Kamiyama, popular for showsBlade Runner: Black LotusandGhost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.
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Interestingly, the firstLOTRadaptation of 1978 by Ralph Bakshi was also an animated project. Phillipa Boyens, who co-wrote Peter Jackson’s trilogy and produced the anime film, stated that the upcoming project has certain elements“that work really well with Japanese storytelling.”(viaEntertainment Weekly)
The War of the Rohirrimwill bring the legendary story of Helm Hammerhand on-screen. TheBrian Coxcharacter is hailed as the most powerful king in Rohan’s history. The anime film will chronicle his historic battle against the Dunlendings led by Wulf (voiced by Luke Pasqualino).
Wulf inThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim[Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]Boyens has described Wulf as an“exceptionally great antagonist”. She added that the remarkable quality of Wulf’s character is that he is a mere mortal. According to her, this aspect makes the character more dangerous than the other evil wizards or dark lord villains in theLOTRlore.
Helm Hammerhand’s daughter also plays a significant role in the upcoming project. Gaia Wise’s Hèra is slated to be a powerful female character and is based on the legendary king’s unnamed daughter in J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices. Wise has claimed that, unlike the traditionalLOTRheroines like Arwen and Eowyn, her character resembles to the heroines of Hayao Miyazaki films.
The fans are highly excited forThe War of the Rohirrim
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim[Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures]During the recently heldre-releaseof the Peter Jackson trilogy, the smashing box office collections proved that the fans are still crazy about the Middle-earth franchise. The new visuals fromThe War of the Rohirrimhave the fans wondering if they can expect someVinland Saga-level spectacle.
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Vinland Sagais hailed as one of the greatest manga and anime show of all time for its themes and characters. Fans did not shy away from admitting that they were not expecting enough from the upcoming project, but the project looks surprisingly excellent. Let us take a look at some fan reactions on X.
Lord of the Rings anime?
Total surprise but makes all the sense in the world.
Could be an epic like Vinland Saga
— Joe Soon (@JoeSoon08)July 28, 2025
Wait a lotr anime? A surprise to be sure but it could be good!👀
— Chatsunami 🏴 (@ChatsunamiPod)August 25, 2025
Wasn’t expecting this but I’m all for it!
— Hatepickingname🐦⬛ (@BenCNFT)June 19, 2025
This will be an epic viewing experience similar to the OG trilogy..
Let us hope I am right
— Ian Ferguson (@grefnai)July 31, 2025
It looks good.pic.twitter.com/hG9TNRMDrF
— Eric Pellinen (@EricPellinen)July 15, 2025
When Ralph Bakshi brought Tolkien’s magic on-screen in his 1978 project, it was immensely praised by the audience. Although it will be tough for the upcoming anime film to level that, it can be a possibility, given that the early 20 minutes fromThe War of the Rohirrimreceived critical applause in its premiere.
It is a very good time forLOTRfans as another live-action project titledLord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, directed by and starring Andy Serkis is also planned for a 2026 release.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimwill be released on August 10, 2025.
Subham Mandal
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1461
Subham Mandal is currently working as a content writer for FandomWire with an ardent interest in the world of pop culture. He has written more than 1000 articles on different spheres of modern pop culture and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He’s also an experienced student journalist having demonstrated work experience with the Times of India. He aspires to be a column writer in the future.
