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A new Lord of the Rings anime film is coming to theatres and fans are thrilled

The film will be a 2D, theatrical feature which will be animated in Japan

Peony Hirwani
Friday 11 June 2021 11:22 BST
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The battle of Helm’s Deep begins in Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers

Lord of the Rings is getting its own anime film called The War of the Rohirrim – and Frodo himself, Elijah Wood, is very excited.

New Line Cinema has teamed up with Warner Bros Animation for this project.

The movie will cover the history behind the fortress at Helm’s Deep, where the final battle in 2002’s The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers took place.

Additionally, the film will dig into the life of Helm Hammerhand, King of Rohan.

The makers also revealed that the film will be a 2D, theatrical feature which will be animated in Japan.

New Line Cinema has announced that this project is being “fast-tracked” for the big screen.

“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,” Carolyn Blackwood, chief operating officer at Warner Bros Pictures Group and Richard Brener, president, and chief creative officer at New Line Cinema said in a joint statement.

“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,” they added.

Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation said: “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,” he added.

The makers of the film aren’t the only ones thrilled by the news; fans of the trilogy, including star Wood, are equally excited.

He wrote: “Holy s***, this is so exciting!! cannot wait to see how this comes together.”

One person wrote on Twitter: “One of my favourite fantasy series + my favourite animation style/medium + my favourite animal (horses) = win. I’m a reader of fantasy, an anime fan and a horse lover. This sounds fantastic.”

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“A story about one of the greatest warriors in Middle Earth history- Helm Hammerhand? Im so in! My WOW Blood Elf Paladin from 10 years ago was named Hammerhand in his honour! Im hoping you guys make one kick ass animated movie!” wrote another person.

Makers have also uncovered that this film is an independent venture and it would serve as a “companion piece” to Sir Peter Jackson’s original trilogy, which was based on JRR Tolkien’s book.

New Zealand-based screenwriter Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote the screenplay The Lord of the Rings series, will be a consultant on the project.

So far, no details about the cast have been revealed.

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