Anime feature film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set to hit theatres worldwide on December 11, Warner Bros. Pictures announced on Friday alongside the trailer on social media.
“Peter Jackson presents a groundbreaking journey back to Middle-earth through the eyes of legendary director Kenji Kamiyama. #LOTR The War of the Rohirrim - only in theaters Christmas,” wrote the production house on X.
The two-minute-24-second trailer begins with footage from the live-action Lord of the Rings movies that eventually transition to animation. The story for The War of the Rohirrim is set 183 years before the events of the original trilogy based on the novels of J.R.R Tolkien.
The story follows Hèra, voiced by Gaia Wise, the daughter of Helm, as she embarks on a mission to save her kingdom. Brian Cox voices the king of Rohan, and Miranda Otto returns to voice Éowyn, a role she previously played in the live-action Peter Jackson movies.
According to an official release, the film directed by Kenji Kamiyama follows the House of Helm Hammerhand and King of Rohan as they face an attack by Wulf, a vengeful Dunlending lord. Forced to make a last stand in the Hornburg, which will later be known as Helm’s Deep, Helm’s daughter Héra must lead the resistance against a deadly enemy.
Earlier this year, Warner Bros. screened the first 20 minutes of the movie at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
The screenplay, crafted by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, draws inspiration from a narrative conceived by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. Joseph Chou takes on the role of producer, while Phillippa Boyens, who co-wrote Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy, serves as executive producer. The anime reunites original contributors from the LOTR trilogy, including Richard Taylor, Alan Lee, and Tolkien illustrator John Howe.
