‘Lord Of The Rings’ Gets Anime Makeover With ‘War Of The Rohirrim’ Film

No elves, no dwarves, and not a hobbit in sight: “The Lord of the Rings” returns to the big screen this month with a new Japanese anime-style movie about the warring men of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fictional universe.

Out in theaters December 13, “The War of the Rohirrim” is a prequel that takes place nearly two centuries before Peter Jackson’s original Oscar-winning films, which were themselves adapted from Tolkien’s fantasy books.

There are no magical rings or all-powerful Dark Lords this time around, unlike the first “Lord of the Rings” movies or the subpar “The Hobbit” movies that came after.

“You look at the original trilogy, you’re talking hobbits and elves and dwarves and monsters”, director Kenji Kamiyama told a recent press conference.

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The new film is instead “rooted in human drama and emotion… greed and power”, said the Japanese artist, who has previously worked on animated versions of “Star Wars” and “Blade Runner”.

The next “Rings” movie will be an anime, according to Hollywood studio Warner Bros., which is a distinctively Japanese visual style and genre that has gained acclaim in recent years.

Tolkien’s beloved novels were the subject of a series of illustrious, invented histories that filmmakers searched through.

A brief description of a civil war between a king and a rebellious nobleman was soon adopted.

“It wasn’t a case of, ‘ we’ve got the story, what form of animation are we going to tell it in? ‘” said producer Philippa Boyens, who also co-wrote the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies.

“It was actually the opposite way around. Something about this particular story was incomprehensible in the context of the world-renowned anime tradition.

That tradition means themes such as honor, loyalty, hubris — and a fearsome female protagonist, in the ilk of Studio Ghibli’s famous “Princess Mononoke”.

‘ Boss girl ‘

“The War of the Rohirrim” is set in Rohan, the kingdom of horse-riding, Viking-looking warriors that featured prominently in Jackson’s 2002 movie “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”.

The animated movie revisits key locations from that film — such as the epic battleground fortress of Helm’s Deep — and is narrated by Miranda Otto, who played a heroic female Rohan warrior, Eowyn, in Jackson’s trilogy.

The plot begins with the ambitious Lord Freca’s desire to wed his son, Rohan’s daughter, Hera.

Freca mounts a vicious challenge to the throne but is fatally rejected when the proud monarch contemptuously rejects the offer.

His son, who has been sent into exile, cultivates a massive rebellion that will endanger the entire kingdom.

Tolkien didn’t even bother to mention the princess in his lengthy historical footnotes, despite the fact that she is a key player in the conflict.

But Boyens was fascinated by the idea of expanding this mysterious character, who witnesses and links the new film’s various heroes, villains and battles.

“We didn’t want her to be some warrior princess, superhero, boss girl”, said Boyens.

“We wanted her to feel real. She’s full of curiosity, she makes mistakes”.

Jackson himself served as an executive producer for the new film, but “stepped back” from day-to-day involvement, encouraging Kamiyama to put his own anime stamp on the film, according to Boyens.

“Elements of the live-action (films) creep into the world”, she said. However, they “crepped in very beautifully around the edge.”

“Storywise, we obviously wanted to stay true to the Tolkien universe… but at the same time staying true to what we do best — which was just to make anime”, agreed Kamiyama.

Source: Channels TV