Middle-Earth Brought to Life in New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Animated Trailer

The new Lord of the Rings movie brings a nostalgic touch by returning to the franchise’s roots before Peter Jackson’s adaptations. This animated film is set nearly 200 years prior to the epic events depicted in both Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and J.R.R. Tolkien’s original novels.

Entitled The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, this feature includes voices of renowned actors such as Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and Luke Pasqualino, with direction by Kenji Kamiyama. Jackson serves as an executive producer for the project. Brian Cox lends his voice to the character Helm of Helm’s Deep, showcasing the story of this legendary location long before it earned its iconic name.

This film is expected to hit theaters by the end of 2024. Here’s a glimpse of what’s to come:

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim Trailer

Several decades before Jackson’s film series, Rankin and Bass produced animated specials based on Tolkien’s works, including The Hobbit in 1977 and The Lord of the Rings in 1978. War of the Rohirrim marks the first animated film within Warner Bros.’ Lord of the Rings franchise.

The animated film rolls into theaters alongside the still-running live-action series, The Rings of Power, on Prime Video. Warner Bros. has also hinted at a new live-action film titled The Hunt for Gollum, slated for a 2026 release.

According to the official synopsis:

Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set to open in theaters on December 13.