What you need to know about The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Frodo may be done with the One Ring but audiences aren’t finished with Middle Earth yet as the anime prequel movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim speeds towards cinemas.

Set many years before the events of Tolkien’s primary Lord of the Rings trilogy, The War of the Rohirrim enlists the help of Philippa Boyens, co-writer of Peter Jackson’s critically acclaimed franchise adaptation, and a renowned anime filmmaker to tell a new story set in the warring world of men.

Featuring stunning visuals — and one name in particular that’ll be familiar to fans of Jackson’s film trilogy — The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim promises to show us a new side of Tolkien’s rich fantasy world. Here’s everything we know about it so far.

When will The War of the Rohirrim be released?

Audiences can return to an animated Middle Earth later this year when The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim arrives in cinemas on Friday, 13 December.

The film is directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the acclaimed filmmaker behind hit anime projects such as Blade Runner: Black Lotus and various instalments in the extended Ghost in the Shell series.

Is there a trailer for The War of the Rohirrim?

Peter Jackson’s sweeping live-action Lord of the Rings trilogy blends into an equally stunning animated world helmed by an icon of the genre in the first trailer for The War of the Rohirrim. Watch it by hitting play below.

What will happen in The War of the Rohirrim?

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Roirrim is set 150 years before Middle Earth came together to defeat Sauron and back when its many tribes were divided.

Here, we’re introduced to Helm Hammerhand, a mighty king of old Rohan and his attempts to protect his kingdom from attackers known collectively as Dunlendings. In doing so, Hammerhand becomes the stuff of legend and ultimately inspires the name of one of Rohan’s most famous strongholds, Helms Deep.

Read more: What is going on with the Lord of the Rings film and TV rights?

Speaking of the decision to tell this story via anime, Boyens explained that the art form allowed Kamiyama to push this world to bold and exciting new places.

"There are certain things I don't think we could have necessarily done — or they would have made it extremely expensive — elements to the storytelling that you could do in anime in a way that was kind of breathtaking, actually," she told People.

Who is in The War of the Rohirrim cast?

Succession stand-out Brian Cox will voice Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan, while Gaia Wise voices his rebellious daughter Héra.

Miranda Otto, the star who famously played Rohan heroine Éowyn in Jackson’s trilogy returns to narrate Kamiyama’s prequel. “I think it took her maybe about 10, 15 minutes standing at the microphone and you could feel the voice coming back and the character coming back,” Boyens has said of Otto’s return to the role. “It was incredibly wonderful to watch.”

Skins star Luke Pasqualino will play Wulf, the brutal leader of the Dunlendings who has a bone to pick with the Rohirrim, while Shaun Dooley will play his father Freca.

The film will also utilise the vocal talents of Yazdan Qafouri, Lorraine Ashbourne, Benjamin Wainwright, Jude Akuwudike, Bilal Hasna, Michael Wildman and Janine Duvitski.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be released in cinemas on Friday, 13 December