The War of the Rohirrim

“What does Mordor want with rings, anyway?” asks an inquisitive orc in a brand new scene from the upcoming anime The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Coming only to theaters on December 13, it tells a story set several hundred years before the events of The Hobbit or The Fellowship of the Ring centered on the Rohan, its struggles, and the naming of the place we know as Helm’s Deep.

Of course, we the audience know exactly what Mordor wants with rings. Sauron is looking for the One Ring which, at this point, is probably just at the bottom of a lake. But it’s a quick, intriguing aside in a longer clip from the new film that features Hera (Gaia Wise), daughter of King Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), who, at this point, has already suffered some massive defeats and brought his people to their legendary fortress. What happens next, though, you’ll have to see to believe. This footage first debuted at New York Comic Con but is now online courtesy of IGN.

This sequence comes from about halfway through the film as the Rohan struggles with their king’s mysterious disappearance, the resulting lack of leadership, and, as you see here, some wandering orcs. It is worth noting though that this is the only scene in the entire film with orcs or rings. The movie is very much not about any of that. But, from time to time, it teases other events and characters to remind you that yes, this is that same world you know and love from the Peter Jackson films. Jackson, along with co-writer and producer Fran Walsh, are executive producers on the film, and their collaborator Philippa Boyens helped craft the idea as a full producer.

The film itself is directed by Kenji Kamiyama who has directed animes such as Ghost in the Shell, Ultraman, Star Wars Visions, and Blade Runner: Black Lotus. It’s in theaters December 13 and tickets are on sale now. We’ll have more next week.

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