Trailer 1 for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is here! It looks … well, it looks pretty fine I think. If you haven’t seen it yourself, check out our trailer post here!
I’ve been chatting with Staffer Kelvarhin about it the last little while, and here are some of our thoughts. This is not a frame-by-frame breakdown, just some talking points that interested us.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Interesting callbacks to the original LOTR films, shown at the start of the video. The white horse of Hera and Hera’s entrance into Meduseld, harking back to Gandalf on Shadowfax and Aragorn’s entrance to the hall at Helm’s Deep. Couldn’t make out if Hera says the name of her horse, maybe something we’ll see/hear in other trailers maybe? Are they setting up this horse as a possible forefather of Shadowfax, an early Mearas?
Staffer Demosthenes
Addressing the second thing first: it could be that Hera’s horse is one of the Mearas. I hadn’t considered that. Note, she does state later “I am the fastest rider” and that could well explain why. At the time of the War of the Ring, no other horse possessed Shadowfax’s speed or endurance.
Did you like the callback intro? It’s a very unusual way to open, but then this is an unusual project too.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Not really, I thought it was a weird way to promote a new film. Why waste screen time on a previous film that’s set hundreds of years after the new one?
Staffer Demosthenes
It’s an easy hook and that scene of Otto on Mt Sunday looking out over the valley is iconic Rohan – especially coupled with Shore’s leitmotif. Only the Pelennor charge beats it, I think, but the Pelennor charge is not a good link: we need a link to place, not to action. That being said, Helm and friends later seem to echo the Pelennor charge in a desperate defence outside Edoras’ walls. But I think we all know that charge will end in failure.
Staffer Kelvarhin
They’re really playing into Peter Jackson’s involvement with this film, reflecting on past glories, for both Producer and Middle-earth/Rohirrim.
Staffer Demosthenes
I don’t love this. I mean, I know what they’re doing from a marketing perspective: they have all of 10 secs or so to hook casuals, and a big neon PETER JACKSON is very likely the most-effective hook. However, Kenji Kamiyama is a storied director of anime in his own right; I don’t love that WB feels he needs to be propped up. That being said, if the decision was put on me I’d probably (grumpily) do the same out of commercial practicality. Philippa Boyens also probably deserves more recognition for carrying the project.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Yeah, I’m not a great fan of it either. This is supposed to be a stand-alone film, maybe let it stand on its own merits. I thought it was strange emphasising Peter Jackson over Kenji Kamiyama. It just felt like they’re trying to appeal to the LOTR film fans, which is why I mentioned “past glories”.
Staffer Demosthenes
At the same time, they’re echoing visuals and Otto is even reprising Eowyn. That all feels fine and logical and justified. I guess we both just think the recent elevation of Jackson in the pecking order is a bit … cold-blooded?
Staffer Kelvarhin
Yep.
I’m not really very knowledgeable about anime, so I don’t know if this is normal for that form of animation, but I’m really having a problem with the way the animals move, it just looks unusual to me, not quite natural. So, saying, when standing still the horses look pretty good.
Staffer Demosthenes
Animating horses is super-hard. Kamiyama and producer Joseph Chou have both talked about this and the amount of effort they’ve had to put into it. I thought it looked okay – I liked the charge from behind with the hooves throwing up clods of dirt. To me it compares well vs Attack on Titan S2.
AOT “cheats” and cuts the challenging lower half of the horse a fair bit. It will be interesting to see how much WOTR emulates this trick. I can’t think of other recent examples of horses in anime off the top of my head.
But maybe it’s not so good and I’m going crazy?
Staffer Kelvarhin
No, it just stood out for me as I’m not used to anime. My son loves anime and he thinks they look fine.
Staffer Demosthenes
It does have to appeal to people not used to anime, though. I think the greater than normal detail in the character designs is part of this effort. Much anime, especially TV anime, stylises character faces substantially (in part to reduce the volume of work). The colour palette is not too vivid, too. And the action and sound design is pretty realistic and grounded. That killer punch from Helm is heavy but, not you know, over the top? In fact all the human on human fights appeared realistic to me.
Staffer Kelvarhin
The inside of Meduseld looks pretty bloody good, the details are spot on. Love the fretwork details on the window when Hera is telling Wulf she doesn’t want to marry her. One little criticism though, women in those times, both real and fictional, did not get a say in who they would marry. It was decided by their fathers, especially in Royal families, where marriage alliances were very much the norm. She might not have wanted to marry the man chosen for her, but she wouldn’t have spoken out against it, she’d have abided by her father’s will, as that’s how she would’ve been raised. This scene came across as a bit too modern as to how she would have reacted. She might have railed to her maids, but not in public, and definitely not to her intended suitor.
Staffer Demosthenes
Did you notice that the portrayal here is that Wulf and Hera are childhood friends? It’s especially obvious with that pair of fight scenes. First they are sparring as youths, then (obviously years later) at Helm’s Deep they’re playing for keeps.
I initially wondered (because a lot of this is out of sequence) if Wulf approached Hera privately first. But now I see that can’t be the case given the dialogue. It looks like they have a chat while everyone else is filing outside for the fateful fist fight.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Yeah, I did. Bit of an intriguing dynamic.
Staffer Demosthenes
I think a lot will anchor on that dynamic. I did like the voices of Gaia Wise (Hera) and Luke Pasqualino (Wulf). Emotion, but not over the top. I feel like I need to hear more of Brian Cox (Helm) to judge him right now.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Visually it’s quite stunning, a lovely renditioning of the Middle-earth we’ve always known in the LOTR films.
Staffer Demosthenes
Did you notice the contrast of scenes that are green/sunny and those that are obviously deep within winter? That really stood out to me.
I also had some concerns about background blending after WB released their fourth still: it showed Hera riding through forest and the background seemed a bit “real”, as it were. But in motion it looks fine.
What stood out for you?
Staffer Kelvarhin
I was more taken by the scenery, especially the shot where she’s on her horse and there’s a plain and mountains behind her. I found it stunning, it would make a wonderful poster.
Staffer Demosthenes
There are some easter eggs.
Staffer Kelvarhin
A nod back to the LOTR films, with Helm saying, “You know nothing of war”. It’s almost identical to what Eomer says to Eowyn at the Dimholt. Hera’s response is almost the same as Arwen’s to Aragorn when she takes Frodo to Rivendell. These things probably won’t be noticed by casual fans/viewers, but for long time LOTR/Tolkien fans, who are notorious for picking up on these things, they’ll be pointing/yelling at the screen over these lol.
Staffer Demosthenes
Haha I missed that! I don’t watch the PJ films very much, tbh. If it was a book quote I probably would have picked it right away. Some nerdy book things I wonder: will they call it Helm’s Deep, or its original name, Suthburg? Will Freca and his folk have their own burg, or will they inhabit Isengard for narrative convenience?
Actually, it looks as though they are opting for Hornburg. Fair, i guess.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Is the head-dress/tiara Hera’s wearing the same as the one Eowyn wore?
Staffer Demosthenes
This one? From the TT EE (I think) funeral scene?
It looks different to me. I think they carry the same sword, though Greendragon disagrees with me and says it’s Thoeden’s .. Herugrim? We’ll see who’s right!
Speaking of headwear, did you notice that the band/crown that Helm wears is later being worn by Wulf as he and Hera fight. That scene is definitely at Helm’s Deep. Wulf might not actually take it from Helm, I think. I think it’ll just be part of the spoils from capturing Edoras.
Staffer Kelvarhin
Oh, I missed Wulf’s headgear! I think another rematch is coming up lol.
Staffer Demosthenes
I think Helm will still freeze to death outside the Hornburg. We get hints of that in the desperation of some of the later winter scenes I think.
Staffer Kelvarhin
I’m a bit confused about the rings bit at the end, none of the Rohirrim were ever given a ring of power, so why bring them into this? It’s a little bit distracting.
Staffer Demosthenes
It feels provocative. Certainly the Rohirrim have no involvement with, nor knowledge of, the rings of power. However, I can offer a possibility.
We know there is a character called Lord Frygt (voiced by Alex Jordan) in the film but we know nothing of his role. Scandinavian friends tell me that Frygt is a Danish word that means “fear”.
Now, we know that Wulf makes a terrible decision or bargain at some point that changes everything. In an interview with me (that now feels almost an age ago), Philippa said: “And there’s a moment in the film, which is incredibly gut-wrenching and powerful where Wulf commits himself to a course of action he cannot turn away from. And once he does that, the story darkens.”
I think it may be that this Lord Frygt is some servant of Sauron seeking rings for him. Some quick fact-checking reveals that The White Council became aware Sauron was seeking The One in TA2939, long after the events of the Helm-Wulf war, but when did Sauron *begin* searching? I can’t find a precise date and I think that’s an exploitable loophole.
What sort of servant? Well, a Nazgul wouldn’t ask questions like “what would Mordor want with rings?” But Sauron has many servants, some of them men. Wulf wants Rohan, and revenge. For that he needs an army. What if Wulf and this servant were to conveniently meet and strike a Faustian bargain. The price of the assistance that Wulf gains for his bid for the throne is … rings? (I had originally thought that the whole Wulf-hires-mercenaries-thing was completely independent of Mordor, but now I’m reconsidering: it may be more an arm’s length affair.)
Mordor (often via the Wiki) moved against the Free Peoples in this sort of fashion quite a lot during the later parts of the Third Age. If that’s the logic, then I can see it working.
But maybe I’m crazy. 😊
Staffer Kelvarhin
Interesting use of the original soundtrack at the start of the trailer, I think it’s what affected my appreciation of the original music that followed.
As, while the soundtrack is reminiscent of the LOTR soundtrack, with the choral arrangements, it didn’t feel quite as awe inspiring/gut-wrenching as the original. Admittedly it is a little hard to give a definitive opinion based on a 2-minute trailer, so I’ll reserve judgement for now. I did like what I heard and would like to hear more, but I wasn’t blown away.
Staffer Demosthenes
I noticed some Taiko-like drum sounds. I did like the vocal choir stuff. But maybe because it reminds me just a little of Kenji Kawai’s opening theme for Ghost in the Shell (the animated movie, not Kamiyama’s later TV series).
There was a lot of choir in that two minutes. I wonder if that’s going to be a trend for the entire film.
Did you like what you saw? Did it intrigue you, and would you go see this film?
Staffer Kelvarhin
I was intrigued by what I saw, it could be interesting to see how the story, as they’ve set it up, pans out. Not sure if I would pay to see it at the cinema or just wait for it to be streamed though. If my kids want to go and see it, I’ll probably take them. How about you? What was your overall impression of the trailer? Will you go and see it?
Staffer Demosthenes
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 like 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 would run 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!
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!
It’s already been a week since San Diego Comic-Con , which was an expected crammed full with good things for Tolkien fans. Here’s a look back on all the Middle-earth related happenings from SDCC 2024.
Panels
Hall H
On Friday morning Prime Video took over Hall H. Fans who made it through the long wait in line were treated to an opening montage of clips from Prime Video shows – which included little snippets of Season 2 of The Rings of Power which had not yet been seen elsewhere. The 10am slot was an hour of irreverent fun from the cast of The Boys; this was followed by The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power hour.
TORn friends in line for Hall H!
Bear McCreary, drummers and male voices got this off to a great start, with compelling music from Season 2. Immediately after that, a clip played – which, interestingly, was our first time hearing the name Annatar spoken on screen. (He isn’t named as such in the current trailer – which was shown later during the hour.)
Host Yvette Nicole Brown was joined on stage by many cast members. Present were:
Showrunners Patrick McKay and JD Payne
Cyntha Addai-Robinson (Míriel)
Robert Aramayo (Elrond)
Maxim Baldry (Isildur)
Morfydd Clark (Galadriel)
Ismael Cruz Córdova (Arondir)
Charles Edwards (Celebrimbor)
Trystan Gravelle (Pharazon)
Ema Horvath (Eärien)
Tyroe Muhafidin (Theo)
Sophia Nomvete (Disa)
Lloyd Owen (Elendil)
Megan Richards (Poppy)
Charlie Vickers (Sauron)
Benjamin Walker (Gil-galad)
Daniel Weyman (The Stranger)
And joining them a little later – Sam Hazeldine (who takes over the role of Adar, from Joseph Mawle) and Robert Strange (the orc Glug).
Host Yvette Nicole Brown with Charlie Vickers, Morfydd Clark, and Benjamin Walker
The showrunners talked about how Season 2 is ‘Charlie vs Charlie’ – the collaboration which becomes confrontation between Sauron and Celebrimbor. Morfydd Clark said she thought Galadriel had perhaps learned, in Season 1, ‘Don’t trust handsome men!’ Robert Aramayo remarked on Elrond’s complicated relationship with Galadriel – that he feels she has made mistakes, but ultimately believes her to be a force for good.
We were treated to some fabulous behind the scenes footage, showing the forging of the rings. Lloyd Owen spoke of the battle for the soul of Númenor which we would see starting in Season 2 – and of Elendil’s own battle between his love for his country and his love for his daughter.
It was confirmed that the spider seen in the trailer is none other than Shelob. Megan Richards hinted at a possible romance for the Harfoot Poppy, and Sophia Nomvete shared that we would get more powerful singing from her, as Disa resonates the stone in Khazad-dûm.
Audience questions
In answers to the questions posed to the ensemble from the floor, showrunner McKay said yes, there is ‘room for Glorfindel’ in The Rings of Power – and possibly even Ungoliant? Ismael Cruz Córdova said, when asked if there was a chance that Arondir could be Theo’s real father, that though the Elf is not Theo’s Dad, he does step into a fatherhood role in this season.
In another clip shown, we saw artist John Howe sketching all of the rings of power. To end an amazing hour, Ben Walker confirmed that Gil-galad sings in the show; and then he stepped up and gave us an example of his wonderful Elvish singing.
Friday evening’s panel
Room 25 ABC was packed out for TheOneRing.net’s panel, where we were joined by some very special guests. TORn staffers on the panel were Justin Sewell and Clifford Scott Broadway (familiar to followers from TORn Tuesday); Josh Long and Jim Wert (‘Collecting the Precious’); and moderator Kirsten Cairns (aka greendragon). Guest Matt Graf (Nerd of the Rings) joined them.
From L to R: John Mayo, Josh, Jim, Matt Graf, Lee Guinchard, Cliff, Justin, Jason DeMarco, Joseph Chou, Kirsten
The panel began by welcoming to the stage producers from The War of the Rohirrim, Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou. They set up exclusive footage, kindly provided by Warner Bros. for us to show at the panel. Gaia Wise (who voices Héra in the film) had a video greeting for TORn, and this was followed by a lovely message from producer Philippa Boyens. And then we got our first glimpse of the movie. (Sorry we can’t share you with it here – but the buzz in the room was epic!)
De Marco and Chou were generous in their answering of questions, explaining why Héra seemed the ideal choice of character to tie together the various threads of the story; why anime is an ideal format for telling a tale from Middle-earth; and how they decided to hire many British stage actors for the voice work, as they feel anime needs the ‘bigger’ acting style used on stage. They also talked about how it was a true collaboration amongst all the artists involved, but how Kenji Kamiyama and Peter Jackson have quite different styles – and ultimately, it is Kamiyama’s vision we will see on screen.
DeMarco and Chou then left the stage, and the audience were treated to some exclusive new images from the upcoming game Tales of the Shire. We were then honoured to welcome, from Middle-earth Enterprises, VP of Creative and Product Development John Mayo, and none other than the President, Lee Guinchard. Middle-earth Enterprises own the licensing rights – originally sold by Tolkien himself – to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This means they are involved in all the gaming and film adaptations, as well as the licensed merchandise out there. (TheOneRing.net is licensed by Middle-earth Enterprises.)
Not surprisingly, Guinchard wasn’t giving anything away when we asked him about the upcoming film The Hunt for Gollum; but he did say he was excited for the project. He was keen to emphasize how Middle-earth Enterprises take seriously their custody of Tolkien’s creation, and that they approach each license with exacting standards, and with love for the Professor’s realm. He even hinted that he perhaps sometimes lurks in TORn’s message boards or Discord chat!
We could have talked for much longer, both to the producers from Warner Bros. and the gents from Middle-earth Enterprises. But alas, time ran out. We’re so grateful to all the guests who appeared on our panel, and who provided content. Special thanks to WB for providing some of the first official The War of the Rohirrim ‘swag’ for folks who were in the audience.
I am No Man: the Creative Women of Middle-earth
This panel took place on Saturday afternoon, in room 5AB – and rather than telling you about it, how about you watch it yourself? Moderator TORn staffer Kellie Rice was joined by women leaders from Weta Workshop, EA games, Wizards of the Coast, and Middle-earth Enterprises; hear what they had to say in this video of the panel:
Party
TheOneRing.net were honoured to co-host, with Prime Video, The Rings of Power Middle-earth Moot! Venue 808 was beautifully decorated, with photo opportunities and with stunning costumes on show. All of the rings of power (apart from the ONE ring) were on display to be ooh’d and aah’d over by party goers; and some lucky fans had an opportunity to meet the cast, and have a poster autographed.
Beautiful cosplay was worn by some attendees, and a good time was had by all. Enjoy some photographs (thanks for Ellen Monocroussos for taking some of these):
TheOneRing.net Booth
We were delighted to be joined at our booth this year by Nerd of the Rings Matt Graf, and Jordan Rannells, creator of A Long Expected Soundscape. Fans were excited to meet Matt, and his shirts and caps sold out. The Long Expected Soundscape was perhaps unexpected for many fans – but folks loved having the opportunity to experience the atmospheric audio world created by Rannells. No less a person than Bear McCreary himself was wowed by what he heard! (Find out more about Rannells’ amazing work, here.)
Composers Bear McCreary and Jordan Rannells at TORn’s booth
Staffer Kellie Rice, aka Happy Hobbit, was also at the booth – and her shirts, along with TORn’s ‘Gollum/Smeagol ’24’ election shirt, all sold out as well.
The maestro of Middle-earth, Jed Brophy, thrilled fans throughout the convention, with amazing tales of hijinks and heroics on set (for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit movies, AND The Rings of Power!) We were also joined by many other special guests over the course of the weekend; Knewbettadobetta worked with Matt to host a brilliant trivia session, and fans were delighted to chat with Tea with Tolkien and The Tolkien Professor.
And that was a wrap for SDCC 2024! Next stop, DragonCon; if you’re hoping to snag one of our sold out ‘Gollum/Smeagol ’24’ shirts, that will be your opportunity! We look forward to seeing our fellow fans there. Meanwhile, big thanks to all who partied, chatted, and celebrated the Middle-earth fandom with us in San Diego.
Don’t forget, you can always hang out with your fellow fans at TheOneRing Discord – see you there!
Tolkien fandom will be prominent at San Diego Comic-Con this year, with exclusives from Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, New Line Cinema’s The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and the fan community here at TheOneRing.net. Get ready for a week of reveals from Middle-earth!
Panels
Three amazing panels happening this year for all The Lord of the Rings related adaptations!
Hall H, Friday 11am – TheRings of Power comes to the biggest pop culture stage with a preview for Season 2 of the biggest show in TV history. Most of the cast and showrunners are expected, along with a new extended trailer.
Friday 8pm, Room 25 ABC – TheOneRing.net “main” LOTR panel This is one not to miss! We’ll be featuring exclusive footage from upcoming animated movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, plus official info on the future of LOTR from Middle-earth Enterprises, with some very special guests and some surprises!
Saturday 5:30pm, Room 5 AB – “I Am No Man: Women in Middle-earth” Hosted by TORn staffer Kellie Rice and featuring women leaders from Weta Workshop, EA games, Wizards of the Coast, and Middle-earth Enterprises.
Parties
Prime Video and TheOneRing.net are celebrating the upcoming Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with a Middle-earth Moot! We’re honoured to be co-hosting this exciting event on Friday afternoon – but we’re sorry to have to tell you that the tickets were all snapped up in record time, and the party is full! Looking forward to seeing folks with tickets on Friday afternoon!
And don’t forget, if you have a ticket, you can try your luck to claim one of the Autograph Opportunity Wristbands for this special event. Visit TheOneRing.net’s booth (#1934) during the following times:
Thursday 25th July 10-11am; OR 12-1pm; OR 2-3pm
Ask for greendragon! Bring proof that you have a ticket to the gathering (either printed out or on your phone). A certain number of lucky folks who come to the booth, during each hour slot, with proof of their party ticket, will be given a special wristband, which will allow them access to meet the cast and get autographs at the event.
You must be there in person to get a lucky wristband, and you must already have a party ticket. People will not be allowed to claim wristbands for others who are not at the booth in person.
TheOneRing.net Booth 1934 and new LOTR Merch Exclusives
TheOneRing.net is partnering with the #1 Tolkien YouTuber (with over 1 Million subscribers) Nerd of the Rings! Alongside Matt’s knowledgable expertise on the lore of LOTR, also joining us in the booth is the fabulous Jordan Rannells, creator of A Long Expected Soundscape. Step up to the booth to get an audio experience of original musical scores inspired by the books of Tolkien.
We’re delighted to welcome the one and only Jed Brophy back to our booth! As many fans know, Jed is one of the most fun folks to meet; an actor who has appeared in all six of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth films AND in The Rings of Power, he’s always delighted to chat with fans, and has some amazing stories. Come and meet him, and snag a signed photograph!
As if that wasn’t enough, we’ll have MORE friends joining us throughout the weekend, including some of your favorite LOTR influencers! Kili from Happy Hobbit will be there much of the time; people will be popping by throughout the con; and we can confirm the following specifically:
Saturday 27th at the booth:
11am-12noon Tea with Tolkien; 1-2pm Knewbettadobetta; 3-4pm The Tolkien Professor.
Come and meet some of the coolest folks in fandom! Win some amazing prizes in our trivia contests – including the newest published editions of Tolkien’s books. Or treat yourself to some merch…
It wouldn’t be Comic-con without brand new EXCLUSIVE merch from TheOneRing.net! For our 25th anniversary this year, we’ve made a commemorative silver shimmer “You Haven’t Aged A Day” shirt, limited to only 100. Then to complicate the upcoming election even further, Gollum has announced his candidacy with our “Gollum/Smeagol 2024” shirt on vintage heather black.
Nerd of the Rings and Happy Hobbit have their first convention shirts ever this year! With these shirts, Happy Hobbit have sourced sustainable fabric and chemical-free printing for a better Shire. Here are the fun LOTR themed designs available only at the booth, not online, while supplies last.
Hot off a hugely successful kickstarter, Jackson Robinson has sent over packs of his officially licensed The Lord of the Rings playing card decks, featuring custom drawn 52-cards from both Fellowship and Two Towers. Shire Post Mint also returns to SDCC show floor inside our booth with their high quality coinage and jewelry. AND – we’ll be revealing a special collaboration with Oscha, celebrating our Silver Anniversary, which will be available for pre-order throughout the con. Stay tuned for more on that…!
Looking forward to seeing all you shire folk in San Diego next week, July 24-28. Our booth is open all hours of the convention floor. One final word of warning: you’ll want to get in line extra early for a seat at our 2 LOTR panels. Be sure to join TheOneRing Discord to get caught up on the excitement when things are revealed!
Floodgates of new information, set visits, character reveals, and new details from The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2, while The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim gets official art books.
For easy reading, here are links to all the new set visit articles released this week, and the primary new details each one offers. Check out the first batch of articles from Monday’s posts earlier this week – and if you want to potentially get spoiled, learn about the most recent Spy Report leaks for S2 here and here and here.
We now have our first released art for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Not concept art, but final stills of animation that gives us a concrete idea of the visual style and tone that Kenji Kamiyama and his team have settled on.
And I like it.
It seems to me that it hits an aesthetic that straddles the eastern and western animation.
There’s a naturalistic feel to the character designs that feels very grounded and without exaggeration. Eyes aren’t distractingly wide, chins aren’t overly pointed, limbs and heads all feel well-proportioned. The colours are solid and rich, but not distractingly glossy or saturated.
Perhaps it helps that the expressions say “serious business” (we’ll return to that, too).
Perhaps that says more about my own tastes in anime than anything else.
I’ve also seen a couple of people who were at Annecy reference Castlevania as an animation touchstone. I don’t really see it, but perhaps I need to watch more Castlevania.
So I love the character designs, but now I really want to see how they move.
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.
Okay, so first because I can see the name complainers arriving en-masse already: go read my interview with Philippa Boyens – the name is “not so much based on the Greek [goddess] Hera, but a nod to the Anglo-Saxon [word].”
Héra is ourpoint-of-view character. Makes sense given everyone frigging dies. But what’s going on here? Where is it? Let’s attack that second point first.
Location
It’s a dark scene. Perhaps sometime in the evening? It must be winter (or approaching it) because of the snow. Maybe the lighting is torchlight.
There’s a ramp and a wall which makes me wonder if it could be (what shall be known in the future as) Helm’s Deep. But the rope and the wooden structure on the ramp behind Héra don’t match. PJ’s Hornburg had a gate, but not a drawbridge. PJ’s ramp/causeway was also quite steep and curved.
Ultimately, I think we can dismiss it being before the gate to the Hornburg.
Maybe it’s further out – Helm’s Dike. I think Tolkien described Helm’s Dike as a ditch and a rampart, with a breach in it for the stream and the road to pass through. There’s a map on Tolkien Gateway that shows where it would be located.
If it were Helm’s Dike that might better explain the wooden structures. And the hutlike structure behind Hera might be a guard hut on the roadside. It would actually be quite a neat (read “nerdy”) detail if it were Helm’s Dike.
However, it might also be Edoras.
PJ doesn’t give Edoras a lot of quarried stone — notably the foundation of Meduseld itself, and the base of the outer defensive fence (topped with a wooden palisade).
That makes the stone wall we can see behind a puzzle to explain.
However, from a certain angle at the top of Edoras, but just below the Hall itself, you should be able to see the valley cliffs in the distance. That fits with the transition from the wall edge to the cliff that we in our animated still. Hopefully the images below help convey that. I wasn’t able to find the exact same angle though.
But Edoras has a dirt path with concluding stairs, not a stone ramp. And the hut isn’t there on that angle. Instead, it’s a wooden lookout tower.
Architectural details might change over time though. Especially after a siege/sacking — and, spoiler, Edoras is set to cop it in WOTR. So I don’t know if these are significant objections.
But if it is just below the Golden Hall, why is the horse in the background? The stables are not directly attached to the Hall and there’s no room for additional buildings on the Hall plinth. It’s a puzzle.
It could be lower down in the town somewhere, perhaps. The outermost fence seems difficult though because I think the wall would always obscure any wide panorama that would reveal the valley cliffs.
I can’t find any image that suggests that PJ chose to place an inner wall anywhere in Edoras.
I don’t think it could possibly be either Isengard, or Dunharrow. There are probably no other options within the context of WOTR.
Action
Héra is challenging someone, but it doesn’t seem to be a life-or-death situation: the blonde fellow behind her is watching, but not alarmed. There’s a dog at the top of the ramp, but it doesn’t seem frightened either. The figures to the left do seem wary about whatever is happening, but aren’t moving to attack. The bonemasks that obscure their faces bear some resemblance of the helms of Isengard’s orc berserkers — as though they’re some primitive antecedent.
Orcs would probably be a scene of great violence, though. This seems more like a standoff/negotiation.
So perhaps they are actually Dunlendings. Yes, PJ’s Dunlending are universally bareheaded. But they’re also pretty rough and ready looking, and carry very primitive spears. I see one of our bonemask fellows bearing a similarly primitive spear.
So maybe they are accompanying Wulf/Freca to Meduseld at the beginning of the film. Perhaps the individual whom we cannot see is either Freca or Wulf, pressing an unwelcome suit before the all-important council meeting that kicks everything off?
Weapon
Finally, there’s the sword that Héra wields.
I wonder if it might be Éowyn’s sword, mostly based on the way the blade narrows from hilt to tip. Also, it just seems kinda apt. My learned colleague ( 🙂 ), Staffer Greendragon, thinks it’s Theoden’s sword — Herugrim — because of the hilt shape and the double horse motif. And it’s an heirloom sword. Both options seem possible to me in the absence of a definitive comment from production, or alternate angles to examine.
The War of the Rohirrim animation still: The Gathering inMeduseld
(L-R) HÉRA Voiced by GAIA WISE, HELM HAMMERHAND voiced by BRIAN COX, HALETH Voiced by BENJAMIN WAINWRIGHT and HAMA voiced by YAZDAN QAFOURI 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.
Character design observations
I suspect this one is supposed to give us a feel for character art style, as well as Helm’s family. In some ways this is all a family affair.
Helm is a little less grim-looking than I expected. He looks quite noble, and is powerfully built. His hands, formed into fists, could probably break Orthanc itself.
Haleth looks about Eomer’s (Karl Urban) age. Looks very serious.
Héra actually seems older than Éowyn and maybe the eldest, even. She sits at the right hand of Helm, traditionally a more important position than the left? Right-hand man and all that.
Hama seems a late teen. Something about his manner suggests that He’s probably the reckless one/has something to prove which explains his death during a “sortie” while Helm’s Deep is besieged.
Helm’s children are all older than I expected as well – except Hama, perhaps.
Action
It looks as though they are receiving an embassy. Initially I thought it might be that of Freca, but having read some reports on the content of the Annecy footage, I now wonder if it’s the emissary from Gondor that’s been mentioned in some places.
The War of the Rohirrim animation still: Wulf
WULF voiced by LUKE PASQUALINO 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.
Character design observation
Knowing it’s Wulf takes the fun out of guessing, but the dark hair is typical of Dunlending ancestry. I do wonder how he gained the scar over the right eye. There must be an explanation for that at some point, for sure. Who, or what, was he fighting?
Location
Stonework in the background could be Edoras, or it could be Helm’s Deep (besieging it). Really hard to say. The ropes around the wooden structure behind Wulf seem like some sort of temporary structure however. They could be siege-works. The concept art for the fall of Edoras (now well over two years old!) seems more indicative of a short, brutal siege led by the Mumakil not an extended one that requires siege-works.
Also it is winter though and it is snowing, and the siege of Helm’s Deep occurred during the Long Winter that was notably harsh.
Detail
I like the blurring on the snowflakes. It makes me wonder if they’ve filmed a snowfall and slipped that footage in – it doesn’t look like animation motions smears to me. But perhaps I’m wrong.
