“Could be an epic like Vinland Saga”: Fans Have High Hopes From Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings Anime After the Latest Details

The Lord of the Rings franchise is all set to enter a new realm of storytelling with the anime film The War of the Rohirrim. After the glorious re-releases of the Peter Jackson trilogy, the upcoming addition to the franchise is a prequel project and will be set 183 years before the films.

The first 20 minutes of The War of the Rohirrim was recently shown at the Annecy Animation Festival. It received a roaring response from the Festival crowd for its outstanding visuals and art style. Fans also took over the internet to rave about the impressive new character looks.

The Lord of the Rings‘ upcoming anime film looks promising

With Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh attached as executive producers, The War of the Rohirrim will be directed by Kenji Kamiyama, popular for shows Blade Runner: Black Lotus and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

Interestingly, the first LOTR adaptation of 1978 by Ralph Bakshi was also an animated project. Phillipa Boyens, who co-wrote Peter Jackson’s trilogy and produced the anime film, stated that the upcoming project has certain elements “that work really well with Japanese storytelling.” (via Entertainment Weekly)

The War of the Rohirrim will bring the legendary story of Helm Hammerhand on-screen. The Brian Cox character is hailed as the most powerful king in Rohan’s history. The anime film will chronicle his historic battle against the Dunlendings led by Wulf (voiced by Luke Pasqualino).

Boyens has described Wulf as an “exceptionally great antagonist”. She added that the remarkable quality of Wulf’s character is that he is a mere mortal. According to her, this aspect makes the character more dangerous than the other evil wizards or dark lord villains in the LOTR lore.

Helm Hammerhand’s daughter also plays a significant role in the upcoming project. Gaia Wise’s Hèra is slated to be a powerful female character and is based on the legendary king’s unnamed daughter in J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices. Wise has claimed that, unlike the traditional LOTR heroines like Arwen and Eowyn, her character resembles to the heroines of Hayao Miyazaki films.

The fans are highly excited for The War of the Rohirrim

During the recently held re-release of the Peter Jackson trilogy, the smashing box office collections proved that the fans are still crazy about the Middle-earth franchise. The new visuals from The War of the Rohirrim have the fans wondering if they can expect some Vinland Saga-level spectacle.

Vinland Saga is hailed as one of the greatest manga and anime show of all time for its themes and characters. Fans did not shy away from admitting that they were not expecting enough from the upcoming project, but the project looks surprisingly excellent. Let us take a look at some fan reactions on X.

Lord of the Rings anime?

Total surprise but makes all the sense in the world.

Could be an epic like Vinland Saga

— Joe Soon (@JoeSoon08) June 11, 2024

Wait a lotr anime? A surprise to be sure but it could be good!👀

— Chatsunami 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@ChatsunamiPod) June 11, 2024

Wasn’t expecting this but I’m all for it!

— Hatepickingname🐦‍⬛ (@BenCNFT) June 11, 2024

This will be an epic viewing experience similar to the OG trilogy..

Let us hope I am right

— Ian Ferguson (@grefnai) June 11, 2024

It looks good. pic.twitter.com/hG9TNRMDrF

— Eric Pellinen (@EricPellinen) June 11, 2024

When Ralph Bakshi brought Tolkien’s magic on-screen in his 1978 project, it was immensely praised by the audience. Although it will be tough for the upcoming anime film to level that, it can be a possibility, given that the early 20 minutes from The War of the Rohirrim received critical applause in its premiere.

It is a very good time for LOTR fans as another live-action project titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, directed by and starring Andy Serkis is also planned for a 2026 release.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be released on December 13, 2024.