Get Ready to return to Middle-earth once more, 250 years before the events of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy!
Forget Frodo, this isn’t going to be pretty!
Despite Amazon gearing up to give us their own ‘Lord Of The Rings’ television show, that hasn’t stopped Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema from deciding to bring us more from Middle-earth. This time though, it is in the form of an Anime movie. It has been announced that they intend to bring us ‘Lord Of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim’. The film is said to be set around 250 years before the events of the Oscar-winning trilogy.
JACKSON AND WALSH NOT INVOLVED?
What is surprising is director Peter Jackson and his wife, Fran Walsh, are NOT involved with the project. This could change in the future, however. But what is exciting is the news that the Oscar-winning writer of ‘Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King’, Phillipa Boyens is onboard the project in a consulting position. The project will be directed by Kenji Kamiyama. He is behind anime such as ‘Cyborg 009: Call Of Justice’, ‘Ghost In The Shell S.A.C Solid State Society.’, and ‘Eden Of The East.’
THE STORY BEHIND THE FILM
The film will follow the character of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan. He is a character that appeared in the appendix of the book. The events will depict the battle that shaped Middle-earth heading into the start of ‘Lord Of The Rings.’ The film will apparently expand the story of the fortress of Helm’s Deep and look at the violent times of Hammerhand. It will go into the untold story of the times and bloodshed of the King during the third age.
DISCUSSING THE PROJECT!
Carolyn Blackwood, the Warner Bros. Pictures Group chief operating officer, and Richard Brener, the New Line Cinema president, and the chief creative officer spoke of their excitement in a joint statement:
“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.”
Those sentiments were shared by Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation:
“This will be yet another epic portrayal of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world that has never been told before. We’re honored to partner with much of the incredible talent behind both film trilogies, along with new creative luminaries to tell this story.”
VOICE CASTING TO BE ANNOUNCED!
As yet, there has been no word on who the makers will be approaching to voice the characters in the anime film. But with a film that promises to be this big, and with a story to match, it stands to reason that some pretty big names will be approached. The film sounds like it could be an epic undertaking, something that could astound us all. Time will tell. But another trip to Middle-earth sounds extremely tempting, no matter what form it takes.
Are you excited about the anime film? Will you be watching it? Or have you had your fill of Middle-earth and the characters who inhabit it? Drop us a line to let us know your thoughts!
Source: Deadline
Author
Carl Roberts is the News Editor of The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
