Fans have long awaited another entry to the Lord of the Rings saga, and now, they’re getting more than they ever could have dreamed of. Recently, Variety broke the news that another live-action film, The Hunt for Gollum, is coming in 2026. There’s a lot in the future for the world of Middle-earth.

One of the most interesting projects to come from this return to such a beloved world is The War of the Rohirrim, which is slated to release on December 13, 2024. It’s the first animated entry to the Middle-earth saga since the ill-fated Hobbit and Lord of the Rings films that predated the Jackson era and will provide more context to the background of one of Middle-earth’s most interesting cultures — the horsemen of Rohan.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on November 4, 2024: The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is just over a month away and fans are getting more excited by the day to return to the world of Middle-earth. Interestingly, the upcoming animated feature includes some inspirations from a fan-favorite Lord of the Rings film. This article has been updated to include more information about the Riders of Rohan and to adhere to CBR’s current formatting guidelines.

What is The War of the Rohirrim?

The New Lord of the Rings Movie Tells the Story of Helm Hammerhand

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The War of the Rohirrim is an animated film in the Lord of the Rings universe that will zero in on one of the most important times in Rohan’s history: the story of Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox), the namesake of Helm’s Deep and one of the most significant defenders of the realm. During his reign, Rohan fell victim to a siege by the Dunlendings, a group of Men who have gone down in history as the greatest foes of the nation. They’re led by Wulf (played by Luke Pasqualino), who is motivated in his quest by a desire to avenge his fallen father. Helm Hammerhand rose to the occasion with great valor, thus cementing him as perhaps the greatest ruler Rohan ever saw. It’ll feature narration from Miranda Otto, who returns to her role as Eowyn to narrate the story for the audience. It’s unique in that the villains are other Men rather than Orcs or some other great corrupt entity. It’s just a story about men and the cruelty they’re capable of.

It will provide a valuable insight into the history of Rohan that was hinted at throughout the Lord of the Rings series, and perhaps give a bit more context to some of the things other characters said about the past of their beloved region. For example, Eowyn comments in The Two Towers that “the women of this country learned long ago that those without swords can still die upon them.” This suggests that she fears history will repeat itself during the War of the Ring, and perhaps lends new meaning to her narration. Additionally, it will further explain the role of Helm’s Deep as both a symbolic and literal stronghold for Rohan’s strength. After all, it’s named after the protagonist of this film, and his horn (as referred to by Theoden at the Battle of Helm’s Deep) is one of the most powerful symbols of Rohan and its might. In The Two Towers, Theoden states that the Deeping Wall hasn’t ever been breached. Perhaps this will tell the story of the last time any of Rohan’s enemies ever got close to getting to the other side of it.

The War of the Rohirrim’s Story Comes from the Appendices of Return of the King

The Return of the King Included Several Short Stories and Histories About Middle-earth

Though it may seem like an entirely new story, The War of the Rohirrim finds its basis in the depths of The Return of the King. At the end of the book, fans can find pages upon pages of further information about the land of Middle-earth. This ranges from family trees for nearly every character imaginable to lesser-known lore about their favorite realms to stories of characters who seem fully unrelated to the greater saga. They were the reason the publishing of the book was initially delayed, as Tolkien struggled to determine what pieces of his writing he intended to include and which would be left out (though many of those found new life as other publications).

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Cast & Character Guide

Character
Played By

Helm Hammerhead
Brian Cox

Héra
Gaia Wise

Wulf
Luke Pasqualino

Éowyn
Miranda Otto

Fréaláf Hildeson
Laurence Ubong Williams

Freca
Shaun Dooley

Saruman
Christopher Lee

Their inclusion has proved to be one of the most beneficial things for the saga, as they have provided the basis for a plethora of new entries to the cinematic world of Middle-earth (such as The Rings of Power, which details the events of the Second Age as outlined in the novel). The War of the Rohirrim‘s story can be found in Appendix A and B. The first of these, Appendix A, provides historical information about Middle-earth that, though not necessary to understand the events of The Lord of the Rings, enriches the reading experience. For example, it contains a synopsis of the events of the Silmarillion, one of the heftier texts in Tolkien’s legendarium.

This breaks down the events unfolding within the realm of Numenor, the greatest civilization of Men in the history of Middle-earth, and provides a family tree and personality sketches of the kings of Aragorn’s bloodline. Additionally, it provides a deeper look into Arwen and Aragorn’s love story, including what makes it unique (such as why Arwen was able to forfeit her immortality, which most other Elves couldn’t do). However, the part most valuable to those searching for information about the upcoming film is The House of Eorl, which details the history of Rohan. There’s a whole segment dedicated to the Kings of the Mark, which provided more information about Helm Hammerhand himself.

Appendix B is a little easier to digest, as it dives less into the history of Middle-earth itself and focuses more on providing a timeline for all the events in Lord of the Rings‘ realm. It’s divided into five different subsections, with each zeroing in on a specific era. This makes it particularly easy to scour it for information about a specific event as long as the researcher knows the age in which it occurred. As far as The War of the Rohirrim is concerned, there are only a few supporting details of the story located within these pages. The story is set to take place during the Third Age, the same era in which The Lord of the Rings occurs, but it will unfold two centuries before the original series begins.

What Do the Appendices Reveal About The War of the Rohirrim?

The Return of the King Contains Some Important Events for the Upcoming LOTR Film

A large portion of what fans assume will be the story of The War of the Rohirrim is buried within the appendices of Return of the King if they’re willing to do some digging. The text reveals that Wulf’s quarrel with Helm Hammerhand spans multiple generations, as it was Wulf’s father Freca, rather than the man himself, who was wronged by Helm Hammerhand’s actions. When Freca asked for Helm’s daughter’s hand for Wulf, Helm laughed in his face and told him there were more important things for them to worry about. This angered Freca beyond belief, and Helm retaliated by striking him and declaring his entire bloodline enemies of the crown. Years later, Wulf marched on Edoras — providing the catalyst for The War of the Rohirrim, which, according to early viewers, is the bloodiest entry to the saga to date.

The Lord of the Rings Franchise

Film
Year
IMDb Rating
Rotten Tomatoes Score
Streaming

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2001
8.9/10
92%
Max

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
2002
8.8/10
95%

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2003
9.0/10
94%

The Hobbit Trilogy
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
2012
7.8/10
64%

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
2013
7.8/10
74%

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
2014
7.4/10
59%

Prime Video
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
2022-Present
6.9/10
84%
Prime Video

Since the story itself isn’t too long (it only takes up about four pages in its original written form), it can be presumed that the central battle will span most of the film. This could be an interesting choice, especially after The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies did the same thing and suffered a bit for it. However, the more likely approach is that it will allow its characters to breathe a little before leaping into the climactic battle — perhaps by detailing the generational origin of the conflict. Lord of the Rings‘ greatest strength has always been the people that inhabit Middle-earth. They’re what draws audiences back to watch the movies time and time again. The War of the Rohirrim has the benefit of centering around a character who has piqued people’s curiosity since the first time he was mentioned in The Two Towers. His development will anchor the movie, and his willingness to sacrifice everything for his people is something to be admired in the years that followed.

The Potential of Lord of the Rings’ New Spinoff Movies

Middle-Earth Can Benefit Greatly From Films Based on Tolkien’s Appendices

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will delve into the early history of Rohan depicted in the appendix of The Return of the King—and potentially change the beloved fantasy franchise forever. The upcoming animated film’s success or failure will likely determine how Warner Bros. approaches the franchise moving forward. If The War of the Rohirrim is a success, fans should expect to see more spinoff films depicting the events of Tolkien’s appendices in the next few years.

Tales of Númenórean kings and Durin’s folk could easily fill multiple films and delve into parts of Middle-earth’s history with which fans are not intimately familiar. These films could be animated or live-action depending on the content, but all would work to expand Peter Jackson’s already rich take on Tolkien’s endlessly detailed fictional world. However, if The War of the Rohirrim doesn’t work up the numbers that the studio is hoping for, it may serve as a one-off project with no successors from the appendices of Lord of the Rings.

Upcoming Lord of the Rings Movies

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – December 13, 2024
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum – TBA 2026

Interestingly, Warner Bros. also seems to be testing the waters with a different kind of Lord of the Rings spinoff. The newly announced live-action spinoff, The Hunt for Gollum, is based on a combination of factors. While based on some of Tolkien’s writings in the appendices of Lord of the Rings, it is also set in a gap in The Fellowship of the Rings‘ timeline. If this movie proves to be a success, Warner Bros. might shift the franchise’s focus to more stories revolving around the events of the original trilogy, filling in whatever gaps or plot holes may exist within the films.

This would also suggest that the studio would greenlight more live-action projects set in Middle-earth which, while more expensive, would feel more like the vision that Peter Jackson presented in his films. The future of the Lord of the Rings franchise is being written with the upcoming release of new spinoff films like The War of the Rohirrim. The upcoming animated feature will give fans their best look at the Riders of Rohan to date while setting a precedent for future spinoffs in the franchise.