The upcoming animated movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has been delayed. The film will now be released on December 13, 2024.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim takes place 183 years before the events of Peter Jackson’s main Lord of the Rings trilogy. The film tells the story of the ninth King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand. He was known to fight barehanded, and was called Hammerhand due to his legendary strength.
Brian Cox (Succession) voices the King, Helm Hammerhand. Miranda Otto, who played Éowyn in the trilogy, will return to voice the character again. Éowyn is the narrator of ‘The War of the Rohirrim’. Gaia Wise, plays Helm’s daughter in the film. She is the real-life daughter of Emma Thompson. Helm’s nephew, Fréaláf Hildeson, is played by Laurence Ubong Williams. Hildeson is heir to the throne.
Skins actor Luke Pasqualino voices Wulf. Seeking revenge for his father’s death, Wulf leads the Dunlendings, the Wildmen of Dunland who accept Saruman’s offer to serve Sauron. The Dunlendings had been driven into the mountains by the men of Rohan. Shaun Dooley (Grantchester, Black Mirror) plays Wulf’s father, Freca.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is directed by Kenji Kamiyama. Kamiyama is known for Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and as co-director of Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
The movie was originally scheduled to come out on April 12, 2024. With the ongoing strikes in Hollywood, Warner Bros. has rescheduled their release dates. This is due to the fact that writers and actors who are members of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA guilds are not permitted to promote any of their work while the strike is ongoing.
The Lord of the Rings delay is a knock-on effect from Warner Bros. decision to postpone the release date of their films Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Dune: Part Two is directed by Denis Villeneuve. It was one of the biggest films of the year. The movie also has a huge high-profile cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Austin Butler. Dune: Part Two will now premiere on March 15, 2024.
Although the delays are disappointing, 2024 is shaping up to be a big year for Lord of the Rings fans. Wētā Workshop is working on an untitled Lord of the Rings game scheduled for release next year. Wētā is the studio who produced all of the special effects and props for Peter Jackson’s films. They are based in New Zealand.
Warner Bros. and New Line have also stated their intention to build upon the Lord of the Rings franchise, with several new movies in the pipeline. Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 may also get a 2024 release. Fingers crossed!
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim release date is December 13, 2024.