The article contains some fascinating quotes from key members of the recently announced Japanese voice cast. I’m using good ol’ Google translate so I cannot attest to complete accuracy of translation, but let’s break it down.
First, there’s some background on the Japanese trailer acknowleging it’s unsual difference fgrom the US domestic version:
…in order to convey the worldview of “Lord of the Rings” to fans around the world, including in Japan, a Japanese version trailer with different content was released simultaneously worldwide, which is an unusual move.
AV mentions a handful of stand-out details from the JP trailer:
In the video, we can see the horn, the great eagle, Mumakir, orcs, and even Saruman the White and the Horn Castle, all familiar to “Lord of the Rings” fans. At the end, “someone” appears who is collecting golden rings, reminiscent of the “One Ring.”
Opinion seems to be firming around the idea that the figure with the pouch of rings, collecting them from corpses on a winter battlefield, is an orc whose name is Rot (the unconfirmed Japanese romanisation is “Lot.”). We don’t know for certain, but it seems a logical conclusion that this is some sort of free-lance servant or agent of Mordor — since he asks “What would Mordor want with rings?” A Nazgul wouldn’t ask such questions, nor a close servant like Mouth of Sauron. However, it’s worth remembering that, in The Two Towers, Grishnákh seems aware that there are Rings of Power.
The thought came suddenly into Pippin’s mind, as if caught direct from the urgent thought of his enemy: ‘Grishnákh knows about the Ring! He’s looking for it, while Uglúk is busy: he probably wants it for himself.’ Cold fear was in Pippin’s heart, yet at the same time he was wondering what use he could make of Grishnákh’s desire.
This is never more fully explained, but Pippin’s conclusion seems correct: at least some orcs know about Rings. How and when did they discover this knowledge is an interesting question.
Anyway, we’ll return to this Rot/Lot individual shortly.
The article then focuses on the cast, revealing some interesting details:
Takako Honda, who voiced Éowyn in the Japanese dub of “Lord of the Rings,” will play Olwyn, who supports Princess Hela [sic]. In the subtitled version, Miranda Otto, who also gave a passionate performance as Éowyn, will play Olwyn, making this a timeless collaboration.
Olwyn may be this character on the left of Héra, who is also seen in a scene on the Deeping Wall during the siege of the Hornburg. It appears that Otto is doing double duty voicing both Éowyn and Olwyn. Honda may be doing the same. It’s a little unclear.
…the role of Lot, an orc who is an important character in the story, will be played by Manabu Muraji, who was the Japanese voice actor for Meriadoc Brandybuck, played by Dominic Monaghan in “Lord of the Rings.” And the role of Rohan’s servant Leaf will be played by Jun Tatani, who played Hiccup in “How to Train Your Dragon” and also appeared in Kenji Kamiyama’s “Eden of the East.”
Leaf is probably the young … page/squire on the left. This shot shows the Olwyn character on the right much better.
The article then has some interesting comments from some of the Japanese voice cast.
The character I play, King Helm, is so strong that he is called the “Hammer King” because he can knock down enemies with just one fist. Just recording the voiceover for this trailer required so much energy that I lost my voice. This film depicts the emotional drama of King Helm and Princess Hera. As a parent of two children myself, I think there are parts of the story I can empathize with.
Loss and grief is such a prominent part of this tale. First, Wulf, through the death of his father, Freca. Then later, Helm grapples with loss as well after the deaths of his sons Haleth and Hama. Appendix A describes how he grows “gaunt with famine and grief” and when I spoke to Philippa Boyens back in 2022 she mentioned “the madness born of grief from the loss of a child” while we were discussing the role of Helm. She says she “saw the tales of him slipping out during the siege [of the Hornburg] and attacking the camp for his people as literally someone trying to — even with their bare hands — protect the people as the king should.”
Fuka Koshiba as Héra
Princess Hera was raised with the love of her father, King Helm, and is a dignified woman who is adept at riding horses and swordsmanship. Although she is hesitant at first, she is a strong-willed character who faces the crisis of the kingdom as a princess to protect her people, with a sense of responsibility and determination. The main dubbing of the film is still a little ways off, but I think that fans of The Lord of the Rings, as well as those who are watching the series for the first time, will enjoy it.
I find it interesting that Koshiba decribes Héra as “hesistant at first” yet faces “crisis of the kingdom as a princess to protect her people”. There’s also a snatch of dialogue in the trailer with someone, possibly Olwyn, seeming to implore her: “People need hope, Héra.”
That seems to me unlike Éowyn, who yearns for battle. In fact, as a described, she puts me more in mind of Frodo’s uncertainty when Gandalf tells him the truth of the One Ring: “I suppose I must go alone, if I am to do that and save the Shire. But I feel very small, and very uprooted, and well – desperate. The Enemy is so strong and terrible.”
Also, taking both Ichimura’s and Koshiba’s comments together, it seems that the Japanese cast has only just begun their work, and perhaps even have only voiced the trailer so far.
The appeal of Director Kenji Kamiyama is that he has created an entertaining work that anyone can enjoy while incorporating complex and philosophical elements. Wulf, the character I play, is not just a villain, but a character with his own reasons and drama.
This supports Philippa Boyens’ telling TORn that they have viewed Wulf as a complex character in his own right, and that they’ve been interested in exploring why Wulf chose to act as he did: “Wulf, if he’d made the right choices, it would have been a different story. He doesn’t. He makes other choices, and they’re very interesting choices – and where those choices come from is really fascinating. He’s one of my favourite characters ever that we’ve ever created.”
It’s been almost a quarter century since the first trilogy, in which I voiced Meriadoc Brandybuck (Merry) in Japanese, was released in 2001. I’m really happy to have been able to continue to be involved in the world of The Lord of the Rings in various ways during that time. This film depicts the battle in Rohan, a place that has a special connection to Merry, and I’m grateful to Dominic Monaghan for playing a role that’s completely different from his previous roles! I hope you’ll come to the theater to see his transformation!!
It seems that Muraji was chosen because he’d done a voice role dubbing Dominic Monaghan before. Further, saying he’s grateful to Monaghan for “playing a role that’s completely different” pretty much confirms that the English VA for Lot/Rot is none other than Mr Dominic Monaghan. TORn Staffer Justin was on the money during our trailer breakdown chat earlier today.
Taya Hayato as Leaf
I will be playing the role of Leaf, who is Héra’s servant. Although he is a little timid, he is a kind-hearted boy who tries his best to support Héra as she walks through her cruel destiny.
It’s very interesting to hear it called a cruel destiny, rather than a heroic one. Again, to me, this sounds like Héra is more called by necessity than driven by inner-purpose. Or, to quote Gandalf and Frodo yet again:
‘I wish it need not have happened in my time,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,’ said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given, us.
Warner Bros. Animation is already rolling out short ads on Tik Tok and Twitter in support of the Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The first US domestic trailer debuted less than two days ago, closely followed by a trailer specifically for Japan featuring a dub cast of Japanese seiyuu (do watch the Japan trailer it has extra stuff!).
Check out this Tik Tok short below.
The ads all lead to a newly launched single-page minisite for The War of the Rohirrim — https://www.lotrthewaroftherohirrim.com/ which currently features the US trailer, and a synopsis with the current English-language voice cast.
Demosthenes here. Hot on the heels of WB releasing the English-language trailer for The War of the Rohirrim, their Japan office has popped up with a Japanese-language dub version that is … nearly an entirely different cut. There’s different scenes, extra characters and, to me at least, the animation even looks smoother. Check it out below!
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Japanese dub.
Courtesy of the fine folk over at Anime News Network, we have some additional information on the Japanese dub cast… and some extra characters! For the Japanese dub we have:
Fuka Koshiba as Héra
Masachika Ichimura as Helm Hammmerhand
Kenjiro Tsuda as Wulf (this is actually super-exciting)
Takako Honda as Éowyn
Taya Jun as Frealaf Hildeson
In addition,
Manabu Muraji plays the orc Lot (ANN notes this character romanisation is not official).
Hayato Taya voices the retainer Reef (ANN notes this character romanisation is not official).
I really, really dig the JP trailer. Somehow it manages to pack in 200 per cent more drama in pretty much equal runtime. We see more of Haleth and Hama, and Helm. There’s a snow troll and Helm looking absolutely demented with grief or anger. Oh, and Saruman is there as well! (We all knew he would be.) His introduction is unvoiced, so that particular casting remains a mystery for now.
Even more staff trailer thoughts
More TORn staff are weighing in with their reactions…
TORn staffer Weetanya
I just finished watching both the Japanese and English versions of the War of the Rohirrim trailer, and feel unmitigated glee at how the director, Kenji Kamiyama, turned these few pages of Appendix A into art. I love how the director wove Peter Jackson’s movie-verse into our understanding of Tolkien’s bit of Rohirric history, and love how the animation informs our enjoyment of the world and the character of Hèra.
The clips from both trailers show animation that is lovely, hand-drawn and elegant in a way that lends itself to the tale. The character art of Hèra is reminiscent of several classic anime heroines, including the noble horse-riding and sword-wielding Lady Oscar from Rose of Versaille, and the equally noble Utena Tenjou from Revolutionary Girl Utena.
The trope of a strong and virtuous woman denying romantic relationships for the sake of serving her people also rings true to anime – most recently in the director Kenji Kamiyama’s own past work for the television series of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, which revolves around an AI-inhabited cybernetic person, Motoko Kusanagi. This series also emphasized the work of a larger team and how it drew together to support Motoko as she solved crimes and explored questions about her identity (and what it means to be human), and some of the same themes might play out in the story of Hèra and her larger Rohirric family. Stephen disagreed with me here and said, “I thought more of the tough protector Balsa Yonsa from Kamiyama’s Moribito no Serei. I wouldn’t necessarily say they fight in a similar style, but Balsa also wields a spear. And it’s pure fantasy rather than SF so it’s more comparable.” — Fair point!
The story in the appendix is written with sparse details, but the ones that stand out are vivid. Here are a few points that I noticed, with as few spoilers as possible except for the moments that are in the trailer:
Helm Hammerhand ruled at a time when the land surrounding Rohan was being encroached upon by Dunlendings, including by a man named Freca. Freca is perhaps descended from a king of the Rohirrim, but he is of mingled Dunlending blood. After a council meeting one day, Freca reveals his designs of a union with the royal house of Edoras, and asks that Helm’s daughter (unnamed) marry his son Wulf. – All of this stands relatively unchanged in the trailer.
Helm says no and insults Freca, implying that his holdings are as bloated as he is. They battle it out, and Helm knocks Freca comatose. Later, he dies. – This is also relatively unchanged in the trailer, although at present Helm isn’t shown insulting Freca as he does in Tolkien’s version.
A lot of history happens, which Tolkien writes as realistically messier than the straightforward narrative that a movie requires, but eventually the Rohirrim end up gathering at a far-off fortress that has yet to earn the name Helm’s Deep. – The path of the muster is not clear as of yet, but we do see Edoras burning, and the Rohirrim eventually gathering in the fortress.
The most vivid part of the tale tells of the heroics of Helm himself and how he nearly singlehandedly defends the Deep from foes. – We have not yet seen this part of the tale in the trailer, but I do not doubt that it will play a pivotal role.
Singlehandedly? Well, Rohan called for aid, but Gondor was a little busy with Corsairs invading the coasts. – This part has not yet been revealed, but I am sure it will ring true to everyone who might have wondered where Gondor was when the Westfold fell.
Helm’s sons, Haleth and Hama, also play a part in this war against the Dunlendings, and earn their heroic statures in important ways. – We have seen them in stills from the anime, but their roles are also not revealed yet.
There is a further spoiler revealed in the Japanese version of the trailer that I will not share, but it happens at the very end of Tolkien’s tale, and sets up a tension between Two Towers that we know well from the books.
The screenwriters, Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, fleshed out the world in a way that carries on the spirit of the Peter Jackson movies, as well as what we know and can guess about the Rohirric culture. They have added the following things:
The screenwriters named Helm’s daughter, which JRRT did not do. They’ve named her Hèra, which is an Old English name (because Tolkien translated Rohirric into Old English for us), and based her character upon the Anglo-Saxon queen Æthelflæd.
They enlarged Hèra’s plot, which appeals to me because it carries on one of the best parts of Lord of the Rings – the part where a woman of Rohan saves the day.
They also added Éowyn as the narrator, which is brilliant. Is she telling the story to the son she has with Faramir, Elboron?
In general, I loved it!
Happy Hobbit: Staffers Fili and Kili
TORn Staffer Garfeimao
I really liked the use of original Trilogy scenes and music and then morphed the images into anime sequences, very well blended. And that scene of the group of riders (not sure if friend or foe) silhouetted by the rising full moon is just magnificent.
The voice over for hearing a story 200 years before the War of the Ring leads to an older tale, which lands us on a scene of Edoras in flames. And just wow, the flames of Edoras, and even the flames of torches held by the Rohirrim look so life-like.
This is followed by some very familiar Rohirric action, a horn blows, a horse and rider rear, and the troop rides off in a sound of thunder. There is then this amazing image of the Golden Hall of Meduseld with a starry sky behind it, dimly lit by torches. It’s just stunningly beautiful.
Seeing the inside of Meduseld is so reminiscent of the great hall we will see again 200 years later, full of the rich colors of the wood, the heraldry, and the fires in the sconces. Again, the artwork is so beautiful.
Once outside the hall, on the steps, while we hear what I assume is Helm saying ‘You do not seek an alliance, but a throne’ he also appears to be removing a ring from his finger. And then things go sideways.
It’s clear Hera and Wulf were childhood friends, but alas, royal relationships can’t always be that simple.
The appearance of the Oliphaunts and the siege machine speak to the peril Rohan is in while Edoras is besieged.
While out on her own, Hera encounters a giant eagle, which is interesting, I can’t wait to find out how this plays out.
OK, so what they heck is that tree monster? It can’t be an Ent, it looks more like the Watcher at the back gate of Moria, with sod and a tree growing on it’s head. And it’s got at least one eye, but looks like it could have two, and roots/tentacles with teeth, reaching out to grab the Oliphaunt chasing Hera.
We see Hera climbing up an icy cliff, with metal hooks, so she’s clearly on some adventure or quest for something.
There appears to be an epic battle between Wulf and Hera that I just can’t wait to see play out in full.
And the final scene after the Title card shows is someone with an accent wondering ‘what does Mordor want with Rings’ as he adds a new one to a bag full of rings.
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!
