New Line Cinema and Warner Animation announced they’re working on an animated film set in the Lord of the Rings universe. According to an article by AVClub, the film’s title will be The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. It will take place centuries before the events of Tolkien’s epic fantasy novel and follow Helm Hammerhand, King of Rohan. The fortress of Helm’s Deep somehow figures in the story as well. While Peter Jackson won’t be involved with the project, Return of the King screenwriter Philippa Boyens will work as a consultant. Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Ultraman) will handle the animation – because this Lord of the Rings will apparently be an anime.
In the early 2000s, Jackson’s epic movie trilogy became a monstrous hit, earning almost $3 billion worldwide. While The Hobbit trilogy was far worse, it nevertheless grossed similar colossal amounts of cash. And back in the late 1970s, legendary animator Ralph Bakshi filmed an animated adaptation that petered out after the first film in a proposed duology. Now, with Amazon producing a super-expensive Lord of the Rings TV series/prequel, New Line sees an opportunity to squeeze more money out of the franchise.
