Warner Bros. has released new information about its upcoming The Lord of the Rings anime movie, The War of the Rohirrim, revealing the film’s first concept art and confirming the first cast members. Additionally, more details about the plot have been revealed.
The movie will star Succession’s Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan. He is a character from the appendices and is the protagonist of the anime. The movie is directed by Kenji Kamiyama and takes place 183 years before the events of Peter Jackson’s film series, according to Deadline.
“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,” reads a line from the movie’s description.
Gaia Wise (A Walk in the Woods) will play Hammerhand’s daughter, Hera, who is leading the resistance against a “deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.”
Luke Pasqualino (Snowpiercer) will voice Wulf. Miranda Otto, who starred in Jackson’s film series as Eowyn, will play that character again in the anime. She is the story’s narrator.
The voice cast also includes Lorraine Ashbourne (Bridgerton), Yazdan Qafouri (I Came By), Benjamin Wainwright (World on Fire), Laurence Ubong Williams (Gateway), Shaun Dooley (The Witcher), Michael Wildman (Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw), Jude Akuwudike (Beasts of No Nation), Bilal Hasna (Sparks), and Janine Duvitski (Benidorm).
Philippa Boyens, the Oscar-winning producer behind Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films, is an executive producer on The War of the Rohirrim. Artists Alan Lee, Richard Taylor, and John Howe–all of whom worked on the original film series–are attached to the new anime as well.
The War of the Rohirrim releases in theaters on April 12, 2024. It’s not the only upcoming Lord of the Rings project, as Amazon’s highly anticipated Rings of Power TV series debuts September 2 on Prime Video.