New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation have partnered to create The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, a new anime adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's timeless fantasy epic.
Announced by Warner Bros., the new feature-length animated movie will be directed by Ghost and the Shell: Stand Alone Complex director Kenji Kamiyama. While the movie will feature a standalone story, it is intended to act as a companion piece to the six live-action The Lord of the Rings films directed by Peter Jackson. The project has been fast-tracked for a big-screen release, with animation duties being handled by Sola Entertainment and voice casting underway.
The War of the Rohirrim will focus on the life of Helm Hammerhand, the ninth king of Rohan, who was seen in the Peter Jackson films leading his people into battle at Helm's Deep and Pelennor Fields. The anime will showcase the Battle of Helm's Deep and the events that led up to it in greater detail.
This is not the first time director Kenji Kamiyama has adapted a Western film franchise to the medium of anime: the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex director is also working on an anime spinoff of Blade Runner, which is set to debut this fall. Kamiyama is also known for his work on anime such as Cyborg 009, Blood: The Last Vampire and Patlabor.
Kamiyama is joined by producer Joseph Chou, who also worked on Blade Runner: Black Lotus. Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews of The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will pen the screenplay for the new film, while Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, who was part of the screenwriting team for all six of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, will join the team as a consultant.
"This will be yet another epic portrayal of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world that has never been told before," Warner Bros. Animation President Sam Register said. "We’re honored to partner with much of the incredible talent behind both film trilogies, along with new creative luminaries to tell this story."
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Source: Warner Bros.
