At a time of celebrating Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring’s 20th anniversary, New Line and Warner Animation’s latest project brings J.R.R Tolkien’s world-renowned franchise back to the big screen. The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim will present Tolkien’s world in a new imagined light as an animated film. According to Deadline, Oscar-winning feature architects Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are not involved with the project as of right now but will be determined down the line. Philippa Boyens, who wrote Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, will be consulting the project directed by Kenji Kamiyama. Voice casting is underway, and the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The War of the Rohirrim centers on the mighty King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, who was a character from the book’s appendix. A legendary battle takes place, helping to shape the Middle-earth that enters the LOTR universe as we know it today. The animation will expand the story of the fortress of Helm’s Deep, revealing the life and bloodsoaked era of Hammerhand. The film is also a companion piece to New Line’s LOTR trilogy, set roughly 250 years before the movie set during the third age. 

Kamiyama has led animated projects like Blade Runner: Black Lotus and the TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) will write for the upcoming LOTR animation.

Carolyn Blackwood and Richard Brener, Chief Operating Officer of Warner Bros. Pictures Group and President/Chief Creative Officer of New Line Cinema respectively, gave a few words to Deadline about their anticipation for continuing the beloved franchise: “All of us at New Line feel a deep affinity for the extraordinary world J.R.R. Tolkien created, so the opportunity to dive back into Middle-earth with the team at Warner Bros. Animation is a dream come true. Fans know Helm’s Deep as the stage for one of the greatest battles ever put to film and, with many of the same creative visionaries involved and the brilliant Kenji Kamiyama at the helm, we couldn’t be more excited to deliver a fresh vision of its history that will invite global audiences to experience the rich, complex saga of Middle-earth in a thrilling new way.”

Another epic, never-before-seen portrayal of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world is in the works right now. Be on the lookout for more about The War of Rohirrim!