The first proper look at the new Lord of the Rings anime movie, The War of the Rohirrim, has been unveiled, and there’s a wave of relief among fans.
In case you didn’t know, we’re getting another The Lord of the Rings movie this year. The War of the Rohirrim is an anime movie directed by Kenji Kamiyama and produced by Sola Digital Arts, and the first images are garnering a positive reaction.
Three stills are doing the rounds, per Entertainment Weekly: one depicting Héra, the main hero and daughter of King Helm Hammerhand, another showing Wulf, the central villain, and a group shot with Helm, Héra, Haleth, and Hama.
All three have been met extremely well, with the consensus being surprise at just how anime this whole thing actually looks.
Today we were given our first look at The War of the Rohirrim! I love the visual style and can’t wait to see it in theaters this December. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/9izpPRu73T
— Tea with Tolkien (@TeawithTolkien) June 11, 2024
“This is animated by a Japanese anime studio and directed by Kenji Kamiyama. They are COOKING!” reads one response on X/Twitter.
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“That is some of the most gorgeous animation I’ve ever seen!” said another. “These images are super encouraging to me and love the animation style. 100x more hype for this now,” a fan on Reddit commented.
This is a distinct change of pace from how J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe has been adapted previously. The iconic trilogy of action movies from Peter Jackson and the TV show The Rings of Power are both distinctly western in their depictions, and it’s similar for many of the Lord of the Rings games we’ve gotten.
Anime and Middle-earth just haven’t really mixed until now, but given how common classic fantasy tropes are used within Japanese animation, it’s a match that makes more sense than you might think. At the very least, it’s something different at a point when this property is getting quite a bit of stimulation.
There’s another new movie in works, and Rings of Power Season 2 arrives in August. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim releases December 13, 2024. Check out our new movies guide for other pictures to keep a look out for.
