Elrond from Rings of Power and a concept still for The Lord of the Rings- The War of the Rohirrim2024 will see the release of the movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and this is quite a slap in the face for Prime Videos’ The Lord of the Rings: The Ring of Power season 2. Though both are adaptations of author J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, they are being produced by different studios and will explore different points in Middle-earth’s history before The Lord of the Rings. These projects share few real connections, but War of the Rohirrim‘s release timing means it can take advantage of the divisiveness surrounding Rings of Power.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has a theatrical release date set for December 13, 2024, and will tell the story of Helm Hammerhand, a King of Rohan, about 260 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. The anime film, directed by Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell), has an advantage in that its story has never been explored on screen. The same was true for Prime Video’s Second-Age prequel, The Rings of Power, but feedback for the series has been mixed. Ultimately, War of the Rohirrim is bound only to make this worse.

War Of The Rohirrim & The Rings Of Power Tell Competing LOTR Prequel Stories

Miranda Otto as Eowyn and Lord of the Rings War of the Rohirrim art
King Thedeon War of the Rohirrim Lord of the Rings Everything we know about Lord of the rings War Of The Rohirrim Collage of Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor, Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, and Bridie Sisson as the Dweller Galadriel standing in armor in a battlefield in The Rings of Power

Prior to the announcement of The Lord of theRings: War of the Rohirrim, Prime Video’s Rings of Power was the only Lord of the Rings prequel in progress. The TV series is set in Middle-earth’s Second Age, thousands of years before Frodo’s journey with the One Ring, but lays the groundwork for Sauron’s rise to power with his titular Rings of Power. A prequel like this builds a foundation for the story that audiences already know and love, but this becomes more complicated when throwing another prequel into the mix.

War of the Rohirrim is also a prequel to Lord of the Rings, focusing on the more recent history of Men in Middle-earth. Though Helm Hammerhand’s story doesn’t relate directly to Frodo’s journey, it builds onto the foundation for the Kingdom of Rohan, giving audiences a look at the ancestors of Théoden’s family. This means a closer look at Tolkien’s world without too much risk of stepping on the toes of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings. Since this isn’t something Rings of Power can say, audiences may gravitate toward the 2024 movie instead of TROP season 2.

LOTR’s 2024 Movie Will Challenge The Rings Of Power’s Canon Changes

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Of course, since these two Tolkien adaptations cover different periods in Middle-earth’s history, it’s certainly possible for audiences to watch War of the Rohirrim and Rings of Power season 2 without the performance of one outweighing the other. However, the fact that the first season of the Prime Video series has made significant and frustrating changes to canon means that War of the Rohirrim already has a leg up.

So long as characters like Gandalf aren’t brought in, the 2024 movie should do fine.

Overall, Rings of Power season 1 was a success, but the various retcons and additions alienated some audiences, leading to significant controversy and debates within the fandom. If War of the Rohirrim sticks close to canon, it would invite in those who have been frustrated with Prime Video’s divergences, thus earner broader positive opinion in comparison. What’s more, Helm Hammerhand’s story was only briefly explored by Tolkien, so War of the Rohirrim will have much more wiggle room any way. So long as characters like Gandalf aren’t brought in, the 2024 movie should do fine.

Why War Of The Rohirrim & The Rings Of Power Are Produced By Different Studios

Karl Urban as Eomer in Lord of the Rings against Helm's Deep background

The problem of War of the Rohirrim affecting the performance of Rings of Power would be avoided if the adaptations were connected, but since different studios are producing them, this isn’t the case. Amazon Studios is responsible for Ring of Power‘s production, while War of the Rohirrim is being produced by Warner Bros Animation and New Line Cinema. This has to do with the the rights held by both studios. While Amazon has the rights to create TV shows based on Tolkien’s works, movie adaptations can only be made by WB and New Line.

This is another factor that will work in War of the Rohirrim‘s favor. Since Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies are products of Warner Bros Animation and New Line Cinema, the 2024 film will have a more direct connection to Jackson’s popular trilogy. These movies are often regarded as the pinnacle of Tolkien screen adaptations, so The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim will feel more cohesive with the version of Middle-earth that feels the most familiar. Ultimately, this is just more bad news for Prime Videos’ The Rings of Power season 2.