The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim gets three first-look images, teasing the return of some classic Middle-earth fortresses. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, The War of the Rohirrim takes place almost two hundred years before Frodo’s quest to destroy the One Ring during J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The upcoming anime film from Warner Bros. Animation and New Line Cinema will chronicle the life of Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) and the creation of the legendary fortress of Helm’s Deep.

Now, ahead of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim‘s release date later this year, Warner Bros. shares new first-look images from the movie, teasing the return of Edoras and Helm’s Deep. Check out the images below:

One image appears to show an army of soldiers and at least one Mûmakil advancing on Edoras as an army of Rohirrim stand in their path, while another seemingly shows a Mûmakil breaching the Rohan fortress’s wooden walls. The third features Helm himself standing outside the walls of Helm’s Deep atop a mound of frozen bodies.

The War Of The Rohirrim Is Copying One Big Aspect Of Peter Jackson’s Movies

Why The Lord Of The Rings Anime Made A Wise Choice

As seen in the chart below, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies are some of the most beloved and acclaimed fantasy movies of all time. While The Lord of the Rings cast and Tolkien’s source material are a major reason for this, the films’ production design and filming locations were crucial to bringing the world of Middle-earth to life. In fact, it’s now a considerable challenge to think of Tolkien’s work and not immediately think of the visual presentation of the story as featured in Jackson’s trilogy, which was filmed in New Zealand.

Title
Rotten Tomatoes Critics’ Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Budget (estimated)
Worldwide Box Office

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
91%
95%
$93 million
$884 million

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
95%
95%
$94 million
$948.9 million

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
94%
86%
$94 million
$1.157 billion

While only three images have been released from The War of the Rohirrim, the material suggests that the films will be maintaining the general look and feel of Middle-earth from Jackson’s trilogy. Edoras, for example, appears very similar to how it first appeared in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and the Rohirrim themselves also wear similar armor. This visual continuity is no doubt due to the fact that the anime hails from original trilogy studio New Line Cinema (now owned by Warner Bros.) and producer Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies.

The visual language of Jackson’s Middle-earth is so engrained in popular culture that even Prime Video’s adaptation, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, maintained certain aspects of it. What will be interesting this time around, however, is seeing how the world of Middle-earth evolves when not in live-action. It remains to be seen how The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will compare to Jackson’s trilogy, but the film is certainly one to look forward to.

A Big Few Years Are Ahead For The Lord Of The Rings Franchise

The War Of The Rohirrim Isn’t The Only Middle-earth Project In The Works

The War of the Rohirrim is due out this December, but audiences will actually get to return to Middle-earth before that film hits theaters. The Rings of Power season 2 is expected to release on Prime Video later this year, continuing Amazon’s expensive adaptation chronicling events during the Second Age of Middle-earth. While the show has proven somewhat divisive among audiences, the fantasy series was a major viewership hit, and Amazon has expressed interest in seeing the show run at least five seasons.

Those who enjoy the franchise, then, could be in for an exciting decade as Warner Bros. clearly attempts to capitalize on love for the franchise.

In addition to this series, it was recently announced that a new live-action feature film called The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is coming in 2026. Plot specifics haven’t yet been revealed, but the title suggests the film could potentially take place during the events of Jackson’s The Fellowship of the Ring. This upcoming movie, which will feature Andy Serkis as director and returning to the role of Gollum, hails from New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. and will feature Jackson as a producer, suggesting it will feel similar to his original trilogy.