WB Showcases First Look At ‘War of the Rohirrim’ At Annecy

At the Warner Bros. panel at Annecy Animation Festival, new footage was displayed for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. 

At Annecy, France, crowds were treated to a 20-minute first look at the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim animated film, as well as a teaser and some news regarding the film. As part of the footage, audiences were treated to a special message from universe helmer Peter Jackson, who has just been announced as an executive producer for the film alongside Fran Walsh.

In the video, Gollum (Andy Serkis) reportedly interrupts the message and attacks Peter Jackson, hilariously screaming obscenities and saying, “Animate this motherfucker” before ending the clip. 

In the new footage, it was revealed that the film will be the first female-led Lord of the Rings film and will follow Héra (Gaia Wise), daughter of Helm Hammerhand, in a war that pits the Dunlendings against the Rohirrim, led by Brian Cox’s Helm Hammerhand. The Lord of the Rings trilogy portrays the Dunlendings as evil men who side with Sauron and Saruman the White in the War of the Ring. 

The footage also showcased how Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), leader of the Dunlendings, came to seek vengeance on the people of Rohan. Tolkien’s original material features the character briefly, where the reason for his hate against Rohan is detailed. In the books, Wulf’s mother Freca attempted to force a marriage between Wulf and Héra, leading Héra’s father, Helm, to kill her. 

At the showcase, it was also revealed that this latest film is currently 2 hours and 30 minutes long. Although not the final runtime, it would make it the longest English-language animated film in history. 

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is directed by Kenji Kamiyama and written by Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou. It stars Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, Miranda Otto as Éowyn, Gaia Wise as Héra, Luke Pasqualino as Wulf, Laurence Ubong, Williams, Shaun Dooley, and Lorraine Ashbourne. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is currently scheduled for release on December 13, 2024.

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