Hollywood won’t stop until they have beaten every last cent out of the cash cow.
New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation are hoping to step back into Middle-earth for another shot at box office glory. The new feature will be a standalone anime film titled The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
The upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel / spin-off will explore and expand “the untold story behind the fortress of Helm’s Deep, delving into the life and bloodsoaked times of one of Middle-earth’s most legendary figures; the mighty King of Rohan – Helm Hammerhand.”
It will “plunge fans into a legendary battle that helped shape Middle-earth and set the stage for the epic adventures brought to life in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy” from director Peter Jackson.
The film will be directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex). Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) are handling the script, with Philippa Boyens, one of the writers of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, serving as a consultant on the project.
The hope is for the anime film to have “story and artistic elements woven throughout that will reconnect fans to the excitement and cinematic wonder of Middle-earth.”
In a joint statement, Carolyn Blackwood, Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, and Richard Brener, President and Chief Creative Officer, New Line Cinema said:
“All of us at New Line feel a deep affinity for the extraordinary world J.R.R. Tolkien created, so the opportunity to dive back into Middle-earth with the team at Warner Bros. Animation is a dream come true. Fans know Helm’s Deep as the stage for one of the greatest battles ever put to film and, with many of the same creative visionaries involved and the brilliant Kenji Kamiyama at the helm, we couldn’t be more excited to deliver a fresh vision of its history that will invite global audiences to experience the rich, complex saga of Middle-earth in a thrilling new way.”
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is reportedly being fast-tracked for the big screen with animation work at Sola Entertainment and voice casting currently underway. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
I don’t know if anyone asked for this, but I’m sure Lord of the Rings fans will gladly pay good money to see this in theaters. At least it’s not getting shoved to a streaming service!
What do you think of this news? What other stories set in Middle-earth do you think deserve the anime treatment? Tell us down in the comments!
