It’s almost a week since the official opening in theatres of the epic animated movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. It’s definitely a film to see in the cinema; the inspiring soundtrack, rich, lush sound design, and sweeping, stunningly artistic vistas are best served by the biggest screen you can find, with an outstanding sound system.
Earlier this month, staffer greendragon joined the press junket in London, following the red carpet premiere. There she was able to chat with producer Philippa Boyens, writers Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, and actors Gaia Wise and Laurence Ubong Williams. They covered topics such as the challenges – and liberations! – of voice acting; being awestruck by being in a room with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Andy Serkis; and the warmth and ‘family’ nature of the Tolkien fandom. You can find all these interviews on our YouTube channel.
Quickbeam has shared his thoughts on the movie in this review, calling it ‘a terrific film, hands down’. Look for more thoughts and reviews from staffers, coming soon!
Meanwhile, TORn’s friend Dr. Maggie Parke (Director of Signum Studios, Co-Presenter and Producer of Rings and Realms) was able to attend the red carpet in London on December 3rd, and she shared her thoughts with us:
Dr. Maggie Parke with actor Gaia Wise
Premiere Report – London, December 3rd
As a lecturer of film adaptation and fan engagement, it is a rare and exhilarating experience to engage directly with the people behind a project that bridges beloved source material with cinematic innovation while relishing in the energy of the fan community. At the start of December, I had the privilege of attending the red carpet event and worldwide premiere for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim in London, UK. This animated feature is set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s (and Peter Jackson’s) Middle-earth, directed by Kenji Kamiyama. The film, executive produced by Peter Jackson and out of Warner Bros. Studio, is a gorgeous adventure through animation into Middle-earth, 183 years before the events from the trilogy.
The premiere was at the Odeon in Leicester Square, the traditional premiere spot in London, England. The Christmas market in the middle, twinkling fairy lights, market stalls, happy shoppers and holiday-makers, created a joyful vibe walking up to the theatre. Taking my place in the media pen on the red carpet allowed my geek heart to sing! Connecting with the cast and crew whose work on the Jackson trilogy ignited my love for filmmaking, adaptation, and production, was pretty dang magical. I relished the dynamic energy surrounding this ambitious anime project that is so different from what we know, but still so familiar from the visual’s of Jackson’s Middle-earth.
The night was vibrant and the theatre decked out for the Worldwide premiere with photo backdrops, a section for cosplayers and die-hard fans, contest winners, LED screens with video and posters, basins of actual fire, and a stage for cast and crew interviews during the red carpet time, which made the event more engaging, and like a show itself.
Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd on the red carpet
The Red Carpet: Conversations with Cast and Crew
The red carpet event was an excellent opportunity to speak with some of the key figures involved in bringing The War of the Rohirrim to life. My geek heart rejoiced as I was able to chat with Executive Producer Peter Jackson, producer Philippa Boyens, Producer Jospeh Chou, composer Stephen Gallagher, and voice cast members including Gaia Wise (Hera), Brian Cox (Helm Hammerhand), Laurence Ubong Williams (Fréaláf), and the glorious duo of Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan who cameo as orcs in WoR.
Phillips Boyens was SO excited to see TORn there, and spoke with passion about their approach to the film, describing how she viewed this as an opportunity fill out what we know of Rohan, and to blend the epic scope of Tolkien’s world with the unique narrative style of Japanese animation; the challenges and techniques that anime supplies are so different from a live-action film. She mentioned nods to deep Tolkien fans and the moments that they’ll appreciate, including adding some Old English (a nod to Tolkien) in the lament for Helm, sung by Lorraine Ashbourne (who voices Olwyn, and whose husband is Andy Serkis). She felt like the story “never let up….” And that while it was a fun challenge, she knew that it would get to where they wanted it to go.
Joseph Chou, the producer, highlighted the collaborative nature of the project. He discussed how the original idea came from Phillipa, and how they asked ALL of the questions to ensure this story could stay true to the world of Tolkien, but provide an exciting space to tell the story of Helm, and explore the character of his nameless daughter, now the heroine shield-maiden, Hera. He passionately described how carefully they wanted to ensure the film stayed true to the spirit of Tolkien’s world, and also was faithful to the Peter Jackson universe, while adding new layers to the mythology.
Stephen Gallagher, Gaia Wise, and Brian Cox
Stephen Gallagher, the composer, is a familiar friend of Tolkien in Jackson’s adaptation, and he was sound editor on the Hobbit films. He’s a long-time Tolkien fan, from the age 11 he devoured the books and the video games from the 80s. He said Hera’s theme is one of his favourite elements of his work on the film. He was inspired by Eowyn’s theme, but uniquely referenced it, so Hera’s is her own, but it is familiar to the tradition of shield-maidens, the culture of the Rohirrim, and the lineage of Eowyn.
Brian Cox
Brian Cox, who voices Helm Hammerhand, felt his performance came from classic theatre training, and he shared his excitement at bringing such a legendary character to life. He also conveyed his deep respect for Tolkien’s legacy and his gratitude to Peter Jackson for providing his ‘gateway’ into Tolkien’s rich world.
Gaia Wise, the voice of Hera, said she felt in incredibly safe hands, with her ‘walking encyclopaedias of Philippa, Arty, and Phoebe’. She was grateful she was able to focus purely on developing the Hera of the script, because she knew that they had “mined all of the jewels that they could mine” from the text and world of Tolkien, so she used the script, but also them as resources for making Hera come to life.
Peter Jackson
And lastly, Peter Jackson, the ‘godfather’ of this of Middle-earth, impressed his excitement for other perspectives, styles, and artistic interpretations of Middle-earth. He said as they were returning to Middle-earth, he didn’t want it to compete with the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, so “handing it over to a brilliant animator and director like Kenji Kamiyama would at the very least give us an interesting result.” He said it was so exciting to sit back and fell like he was back in the world that he knew watching early cuts, and it only got stronger as the production moved ahead. He was excited to have anime come into the portfolio, although he didn’t know if there’d be another anime to follow, and he mentioned The Hunt for Gollum, Andy Serkis’s upcoming film. He referred to that film as a ‘psychological thriller,’ and was excited for exploring Middle-earth in a different way.
Peter Jackson’s version of Middle-earth in different styles? From informed, and passionate creators who aren’t afraid to take a chance on creative practices? Yes. Please.
Maggie Parke with Peter Jackson
Dr Maggie Parke has her PhD in Film Adaptation and Fan Engagement, and lectures with Signum University. She is the director of Signum Studios, and produces and co-presents on Rings & Realms.
If you haven’t yet seen The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, what are you waiting for? Treat yourself to a voyage back to Middle-earth, and enjoy seeing Rohan, Meduseld, and other familiar sights on the big screen once again.
If you’re curious to know more about this particular story from Tolkien, and its adaptation to the big screen, we have good news for you! TheOneRing.net is partnering with the team at Rings and Realms to create a deep dive documentary all about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Find out more about this exciting project, here.
In January I was reading a skeet on Bluesky about how people feel after every re-reading of The Lord of the Rings. Do they still feel the same emotions, have the same reactions as they did when they first read it?
Some of the responses reflected that you can never feel or react the same way as you did during your first reading, as everything you were reading was new and fresh to you, which is very true. A much-shared readers lament is that you can never feel the way you did the first time you read a well-loved story.
Several responses went onto clarify that every re-read still affects them, though in different ways. Could this be due to being older? Having a greater understanding of world-issues? Being able to comprehend more nuances from Tolkien’s writing?
For myself it’s probably a combination of all of these, after all, I was only 8 years old when I first read LOTR. The complexities of the world-building have grown on me as I’ve gotten older, and I’m far more appreciative of these now than I was as a precocious 8-year-old. My main reason for reading LOTR back then was to join in with the discussions my mother and older brothers were having about LOTR. My mother tried to get me to read The Hobbit, but I just wasn’t interested: Mum and the boys were discussing LOTR, and I wanted to join in with that. I did say I was precocious 😉
This led to a life-long love of Tolkien’s work. Many of my fondest memories are related to LOTR. My brothers and I saved up to buy our mum a box set of Tolkien’s books when The Silmarillion was published, those books now live on my bookshelf, along with all my other copies. Many of my responses when re-reading LOTR reflect where I was at that time in my life. Re-reading the books my brothers and I bought our mum reminds me strongly of when I first read LOTR and how much I enjoyed discussing them with my mum and brothers. They also remind me of the wonder she introduced us to when she first shared her love of LOTR with us, and how excited we all were to buy her the box set, so she finally had her own copies.
Now, every time I re-read them; I’m constantly finding new insights. I’ve mentioned the world-building, something that all fans of Tolkien’s work love, the themes of friendship, fellowship, enduring love, and simple joys are what resound with me and lead me back to read these books over and over again.
I’ve mainly mentioned LOTR, as since that was the work that the fans over on Bluesky were discussing, but I also regularly re-read Tolkien’s other Middle-earth books. My favourite is The Silmarillion, probably because I’ve always been a bit of a history geek too, so I really love the deeper insight into Middle-earth that The Silmarillion provides. I’ve honestly lost count how many times I’ve read it, and LOTR. At one point I could quote whole sections of it from memory, but that was a few years ago, before children and other RL interests came along. Still, I can remember quite a bit of its lore. Every time I re-read The Sil I uncover deeper meaning, beauty, and sorrow and it draws me firmly into Middle-earth.
I must admit that I appreciate The Hobbit much more now I’m an adult, than I did as a child. Being a quite advanced reader from a very young age, I absolutely hated anything that I felt was “talking down” to children. As an 8-year-old, that’s how it struck me, I disliked the narrator talking directly to me and skipping things they felt I was too young to witness or understand. Now it just seems a quaint way of telling the story and doesn’t distract me from the tale. I find I can more fully enjoy Bilbo’s travels “there and back again” a lot more from an adult perspective, and I notice and enjoy the nuances far more than I did as a child. Maybe that’s just me.
I know many fans that have come to Tolkien’s works via Peter Jackson’s movies, and, more recently, via Amazon Studios’ The Rings of Power TV. One of the first questions I was asked when I finally crept out of Lurkwood and joined our Message boards was if I was a “book-firster or a movie-firster”. The question wasn’t asked to belittle me, it was asked out of genuine interest as to how I discovered Tolkien, and led to a truly enjoyable discussion about Tolkien’s work and how wonderful it was that more people were discovering his work due to the release of the films. That, while I enjoy the films, the books will always hold the number one spot in my heart, and it’s this first love that draws me back to Middle-earth over and over again.
We’re seeing this again with the TV series, with people finding out about Middle-earth for the first time and wanting to know more. We regularly have new members join our Discord chat, wanting to know about Tolkien’s books, which order they should read them in. Then they share their joy with us all as they read the stories. I have no doubt that we will see another influx after The War of the Rohirrim is released in December.
We are so lucky today to have so many more adaptations set in Middle-earth. As a child the only film I ever saw was the Bakshi Lord of the Rings. While I left the cinema with many questions for my mother, over changes and omissions, it didn’t rob me of my original love: the books. I did immediately re-read the books, and was surprised at how Bakshi’s film, while not perfect, led me to a greater appreciation of the written work.
It’s wonderful, and a privilege, watching others begin their journey into the wonder that is Middle-earth, and having new memories added to my own ongoing journey. As I, and others, have found, I am sure that those who have come to discover, and love, Middle-earth through the recent adaptations will discover the greater realm that awaits them within the written works. At least, this remains my belief and hope.
I wish them well as they embark on their own journey of discovery, of deeper understanding and wonder of the amazing world that we’ve been gifted by J.R.R. Tolkien. This wonderful Middle-earth. I envy their new discoveries, their first steps into this immense literary world, but rejoice that they are joining our Fellowship. Welcome!
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
The first trailer for the highly anticipated movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has dropped – and it is going to make fans very excited! You’ll want to watch it right away:
Staffers at TheOneRing.net are abuzz over this trailer. We’ll be bringing you our reactions (including some below), but first, let’s look at what the official press release has to say:
Héra voiced by GAIA WISE in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, a Warner Bros. pictures release. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
New Line Cinema’s original anime feature “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Under the direction of award-winning filmmaker Kenji Kamiyama (the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” TV series), the talented voice cast is led by Brian Cox (“Succession”) as Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan; Gaia Wise (“A Walk in the Woods”) as his daughter Héra; and Luke Pasqualino (“Snowpiercer”) as Wulf. Miranda Otto, who delivered an unforgettable, award-winning performance in “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, reprises her role as Éowyn, Shieldmaiden of Rohan, who serves as the tale’s narrator. The voice ensemble also includes Lorraine Ashbourne (Netflix’s “Bridgerton”), Yazdan Qafouri (“I Came By”), Benjamin Wainwright (“World on Fire”), Laurence Ubong Williams (“Gateway”), Shaun Dooley (“The Witcher”), Michael Wildman (“Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw”), Jude Akuwudike (“Beasts of No Nation”), Bilal Hasna (“Sparks”) and Janine Duvitski (“Benidorm”).
Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg—a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
With Kamiyama at the helm, the original feature is being produced by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, from the screenwriting team behind “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” Trilogies, alongside Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou, who, in addition to their many separate animation projects, collaborated on the “Blade Runner: Black Lotus” series. The executive producers are Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Sam Register, Carolyn Blackwood and Toby Emmerich. The screenplay is by Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews and Phoebe Gittins & Arty Papageorgiou, story by Addiss & Matthews and Boyens, based on characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien. The team of creative collaborators returning from “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy also includes Oscar winners Alan Lee and Richard Taylor, along with esteemed Tolkien illustrator John Howe.
A New Line Cinema Presentation, a Warner Bros. Animation / Sola Entertainment Production, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” will be distributed theatrically worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, released in cinemas nationwide on December 13, 2024, and internationally beginning 11 December 2024.
Héra voiced by GAIA WISE in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, a Warner Bros. pictures release. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Staffer greendragon has a few preliminary thoughts:
Actually I’m kind of speechless! WHAT a trailer. Chills and excitement. Cannot wait to visit this version of Middle-earth; PJ’s vision but now through the eyes of Kenji Kamiyama. Thrilling.
0.01 Hello old friend. It’s been so long since we’ve had a trailer with these sounds, with these visuals… I’m kind of ridiculously emotional.
0.04 In case you had any doubt whose version of Middle-earth this is…
0.16 Yes please. I want to go there.
0.23 This is a beautiful shot; and cleverly brings us right into Kamiyama’s visual world. “OK, you love how Peter Jackson brought Tolkien’s realm to life; but check out THIS version of it!”
0.44 Breathtakingly beautiful.
0.55 It is so fun seeing the Golden Hall – familiar but also new.
01.18 Well that’s the exposition covered then…
01.19 Seriously, it is crazy how emotional this makes me. And sure, maybe this trailer overplays that, and rather manipulates us. But I’m ok with that; I have so many happy memories of looking forward to revisiting PJ’s version of Middle-earth in the holiday season. (I wonder if The Hunt for Gollum will also end up with a holiday release date? December 2026, maybe…?)
01.28 Echoes of Theoden; reminds me of ‘What can men do against such reckless hate?’
01.33 Not sure about Héra’s outfit; it looks strangely space-age in this shot. Makes me think of cartoons like ‘Battle of the Planets’. But, it will probably read differently in the context of the film.
01.39 This is a very cool visual. I don’t know enough about anime to know how this effect is achieved, but it reminds me a bit of the blend of styles in Bakshi’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’.
01.46 The eagles are coming!
01.50 Is this THE Watcher in the Water, or just A Watcher in the Water? If it’s the one, why is Héra in Moria?
01.54 Now that’s interesting – that shot totally reminds me of Galadriel climbing ice in Season 1 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Intentional or just serendipity?
02.14 I love the 3D effect of the title.
02.17 An orc gathering rings as Sauron searches for the One! Will this be our only glimpse of anything to do with the Ring legend…? And also, is that Andy Serkis’ voice I hear?
Wow. So excited for this movie.
Staffer Demosthenes here:
I’ve been wanting to see finished animation for The War of the Rohirrim for yonks. Descriptions out of Annecy and SDCC, while cool in themselves, aren’t especially useful for forming a personal judgement. Stills will only get you so far. You need to see it moving.
Now, with a teaser in hand that combines action and dialogue and sound, it’s the moment of truth. (well, the first of them.)
As someone who does watch a fair bit of anime, it was reassuring: although I wish it was a little more fluid in character animation, it’s still very solid. The character designs look good (quite detailed, too, and that increases the level of work for staff) and move well. The horses feel almost like a triumph – I loved the clods of earth the charge we saw was throwing up; very dynamic — given the difficulty of that task. And the backgrounds don’t jar by looking too real/photorealistic.
Fights feel realistic and don’t indulge in over the top physics — something that is fine for, say, Demon Slayer, but would be, I think, counter to the general tone of Middle-earth. It fits the world that it’s meant to be portraying.
This is crucial: it sounds and looks and feels like Middle-earth.
If there’s one thing I’m not sure about, it’s the Watcher-like creature. I don’t love monsters for the sake of them and it’s a long way from Moria to Rohan. Perhaps there’s a good contextual explanation, though.
I’ve always really liked the Helm story – it might be my favourite one out of the appendices. I can see the bones of that story here: the marriage proposal, the fight, and the consequences that follow for Rohan and its various people.
The trailer teases later events and the Hornburg climax without revealing it fully. If you don’t already know the Helm story, or what happens to Helm and his family, this trailer is a bit of a mystery actually!
I’m keen to see it all unfold on screen.
By-the-by, industry talk is that in the USA, Rohirrim trailer is attached to Beetlejuice. Can’t confirm that, but that’s the rumour.
(L-r) Wulf voiced by LUKE PASQUALINO and General Targg voiced by MICHAEL WILDMAN in New Line Cinema’s and Warner Bros. Animation’s epic anime adventure ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, a Warner Bros. pictures release. Photo courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Warner Bros. also announced today that they will be attending New York ComicCon. We’ll also be hosting a War of the Rohirrim panel at DragonCon next week, complete with an interview with producer Jason DeMarco. News on all these happenings soon!
Intrepid reporters caught up with Andy Serkis at Annecy Animation Festival in France and surprisingly got an answer.
According to podcaster & blogger Alexandre Loos, when asked about Peter Jackson directing a sequel to The Adventures of Tintin, Andy Serkis replied:
“Peter Jackson is definitely working on it.”
Andy Serkis
Pour ce que ça vaut : « Peter Jackson is definitely working on it » quand je lui ai demandé si on allait voir une suite à Tintin @annecyfestivalpic.twitter.com/nCKIEci83T
Released in 2011, The Adventures of Tintin grossed $374 Million worldwide with an expectation that a sequel would be immediately put into production. According to Steven Spielberg, who directed the first film with Peter Jackson producing, they would switch roles for the sequel and Jackson would direct the second film. Andy Serkis stars as Captain Haddock in the all-CGI animated film.
The first trailer for The Hobbit movies debuted attached to the release of The Adventures of Tintin.
Back in 2018, Spielberg kept the Tintin flame alive by confirming Jackson would still do Tintin 2. The first movie under-performed in USA, in part because Tintin isn’t a household name nor part of the American youth media zeitgeist. We just didn’t grow up with it, so the movie served as an introduction to the world of Tintin. The series is hugely popular in Europe and other locales.
Peter Jackson got distracted by other high-profile award-winning projects in the meantime: They Shall Not Grow Old, a World War I documentary, and The Beatles doc “Get Back” which premiered on Disney+.
🇫🇷 💧 « Dans la sécheresse on découvre les bonnes sources ; dans la détresse, les bons amis » 👯♂️ Proverbe chinois
🇬🇧 💧 « In drought we find good springs, in distress good friends » 👯♂️ Chinese proverb
With Peter Jackson committed to only producing the next wave of LOTR films, the first one being The Hunt for Gollum directed by Andy Serkis, could this mean he is clearing his directing schedule to put time into Tintin, finally? Discuss with other fans on the daily-active Discord.
Peter Jackson and other luminaries from all quadrants of the Film Business celebrate the life of Sir Christopher Lee (who played Saruman in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit) in a new feature-length documentary. We caught up with the director of the film, Jon Spira, to get the real story on Lee’s personal mythology.
The new documentary is completely finished, and pre-orders for the DVD and Blu-ray editions are available on Kickstarter now. With self-distribution, the documentary bonus features will include the full, unexpurgated Peter Jackson interview as well as many other goodies. See a clip here:
Director Jon Spira talks with Quickbeam
Quickbeam: When we were making Ringers: Lord of the Fans, we were just walking around and asking all kinds of people, would you like to share your reflections on the the whole Lord of the Rings fandom. Everybody from David Carradine right on down to Peter Jackson and everyone in between was very happy to say yes. The stories just profusely came out of people. Did you find that people were just really eager to talk about Sir Christopher Lee?
Jon Spira: People really wanted to talk about Christopher Lee because he left an indelible mark on everyone he met. He was loved and admired; and and I say that as two very separate things. The people who knew him truly loved him, and the people who maybe didn’t know him as closely, truly admired him. One of the things that I found really kind of heartening and fascinating to learn was that he was somebody who was completely egalitarian. He would talk to anybody, he treated everybody as his equal, and he would sit down. He loved being on film sets, and he was just as happy talking to a runner as he would be talking to the director.
Christopher Lee didn’t differentiate between people he really didn’t see differently from someone who came from genuine aristocracy. He didn’t see that divide in people. And so he he left a legacy of genuine affection. And that was something which really kind of came out in the film.
Allowing Sir Christopher to be His Own Voice
Quickbeam: I love that that you can discover new insights into your subject without knowing you’re going to arrive there. You you begin as a filmmaker, as a documentarian, you start somewhere and you always surprise yourself and ending up with new places and new information you’ve discovered that actually does recontextualize what you’re trying to present (as a filmmaker).
Jon: There’s some apocryphal stuff out there, but most of those crazy lists are completely true. Really weird stuff. Like, he met Rasputin’s killers and he witnessed the last-ever guillotined person in Paris. You know, all that strange stuff is true!
I trust the process now. I don’t always know going into it. I don’t always know what I’m making. One thing that I really knew was that I wanted Christopher Lee to narrate this film somehow. Like, I knew that he had to be the narrator of the story, because I knew that he was the unreliable narrator.
Christopher Lee is descended from Emperor Charlemagne of the Holy Roman Empire, related to Robert E. Lee the Confederate general, and nearly married into the Crown Equerry to the King of Sweden pic.twitter.com/iUa1AxDUsY
(Editor’s Note: Jon helped us clarify that Sir Christopher was indeed NOT related to Gen. Lee)
Sir Christopher’s Deep Fascination with Tolkien
Jon: He was completely obsessed with Tolkien. He read Lord of the Rings when it first came out, like, you know, chapter by chapter. And he read it every year. He would read the whole of Lord of the Rings cycle once a year. He was completely obsessed with it. When it was announced that Peter Jackson was going to make the films, he basically grabbed hold of his son-in-law, who was, to a degree, his defacto manager at the time, and basically said: “You have to get me in these films, no matter what. You have to get me in these films–so get online.” Because he personally was a very early adopter of the internet as well, and using it for his fan base, he was like, “Get online, make sure all the fans are talking about this, and make sure that these people know that I need to be in these films!”
I think one of the greatest parts of the documentary is a part that I didn’t direct. Throughout the film we use lots of animation and lots of kind of crazy stuff to tell his stories, and we got a guy called Dave McKean.
Jon: Yes! The crazy thing is, I said to him, “You don’t need to consult with me on this.” Without much time, I was expecting kind of a series of slightly moving images like an animatic. But his animatic was really good. How is he going to do it better than this? He ended up doing a whole studio shoot. He created full masks for people. He created a set. And he composed a score for it.
The best part is, Dave Mckean chose to animate the moment where Christopher Lee met J.R.R Tolkien!
The filmmakers express gratitude to @archmodelstudio for their great assistance creating this puppet!
On the Future of Saruman
Justin: For these recreation scenes, now there’s A.I. where you can do voice duplication.
Jon: We went even better than that. Have you heard of Peter Serafinowicz?
Justin: Darth Maul?
Jon: He was our first choice. And he was absolutely amazing. He’s very famous over here as a comedian. Had his own comedy show, and he was on a lot of other kind of shows. And he actually does great work.
Justin: With new Lord of the Rings coming from Peter Jackson and Prime Video, is the technology advanced enough to digitally recreate Christopher Lee’s Saruman? Or do you think recasting Saruman in these new tales is a better path?
Jon: I think recasting. I’ve talked to a lot of people and I’ve looked at deepfakes a lot, but he has qualities that can’t be echoed. I always think back to Rogue One where they kind of tried to do Peter Cushing, and you just go: “But it’s not him!” And at the end they did Carrie Fisher and you just go: “But it’s not her.” It feels off. You can’t recreate life. Not close up. Not that kind of thing. You can’t. The human eye is something which can’t be replicated because it’s the window to the soul. Everything that’s ever happened to someone is kind of behind their eyes.
It’s great for creating creatures and it’s great for creating original things. But if you’re trying to replicate a human being, I honestly don’t think it’ll ever get there. I think there is an anarchy in organic chemistry which will never quite be replicated.
Order the Compete Documentary on Blu-ray
You can watch the entire 90-minute conversation with the director of The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee on YouTube. Clifford “Quickbeam” and Justin dive in deep with Jon Spira about the myths and legends about Lee, his core drives in life, and how much LOTR fandom really meant to him. Order your copy of the full documentary + bonus features, including interviews with Peter Jackson and Lee’s family, on Kickstarter now.
It’s Friday 17 May 2024 – and a seismic shift in The Lord of the Rings adaptations has been felt around the world. Here’s all the news you may have missed:
Rings of Power S2 gets a trailer, a date, and a BTS video
Prime Video unveiled season 2 of The Rings of Power at their UPFRONTS, an advertising industry event designed to lure more advertisers to buying commercials during shows. Prime also updated the show’s social media handles from LOTRonPrime to @TheRingsOfPower and released a 3 minute Behind-the-scenes look at S2.
Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuts Thursday August 29, 2024 with a 3-episode premiere, then settles into weekly episodes for the remaining 5 weeks.
LEGO Barad-Dur tower date and price
The 5,471 piece set is available June 1 for $459.99.
We see you. You can't hide your passion for the new Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr™ set ☄️ pic.twitter.com/wx7ANVApcS
The first movie in the new WB LOTR license is The Hunt for Gollum, directed by Andy Serkis, who also will play the character again. Produced by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, with a screenplay by The War of the Rohirrim writers Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Read more about how they landed on this particular story in the Legendarium.
In a technical slip up, the automated YouTube and WB copyright system temporarily took down the 15-year-old fan film The Hunt for Gollum, which was back up within hours and is still free to watch.
Rohirrim preview in June while scoring continues remotely
Exec Producer Jason Demarco announced a “big chunk of the film” will be screened at Annecy animation festival in June, and shared a new logo for the movie.
Composer Stephen Gallagher continues to post updates on the scoring of the new Anime LOTR movie coming this December.
Middle-earth Enterprises owner Embracer Freemode shared an in-depth interview with CEO Lee Guinchard, where he lays out the strategy going forward to build The Lord of the Rings into a premium, high quality brand that is collaborative and fan-first.
LOTR Executive Producer Mark Ordesky has teamed up with the Blair Witch creators to launch a new fantasy project: an omni-channel disc-world universe with a dice game on Kickstarter.
Black Milk Clothing has finally restocked its official LOTR apparel, including this Arwen dress.
Christopher Lee feature-length documentary, featuring a brand new interview with Peter Jackson, enters its final Blu-ray pre-order days with a Dracula inspired premium box set.
