The Hunt for Gollum team say the upcoming Lord of the Rings anime movie was them "testing the waters" for returning to Middle-earth: "It's been a joy to go back"

Middle-earth will soon be back on our screens once more with the upcoming Lord of the Rings anime movie The War of the Rohirrim, which boasts Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, and Peter Jackson among its producers.

Walsh, Boyens and Jackson co-wrote the Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies together – and, of course, Jackson also directed.

The War Of The Rohirrim is a prequel that tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, referenced in the Battle of Helm's Deep in The Two Towers. It's also just the beginning of Boyens's trip back to Tolkien’s world.

While there's the ongoing Rings Of Power series, Boyens, Jackson, and Walsh are not affiliated with the show. However, the trio are producing the upcoming live-action movie The Hunt For Gollum, helmed by Andy Serkis. "That is incredibly exciting," Boyens tells SFX magazine in the new issue, which features Doctor Who's Christmas special 'Joy to the World' on the cover and hits newsstands on December 3.

"Rohirrim was us testing the waters for ourselves. Can we go back to Middle-earth? Should we go back? And it's been a joy to go back. I've fallen back in love with the whole story and the world, and especially with Professor Tolkien's mind and the way he thinks, which I've rediscovered all over again.

"He didn't just write books. He wrote an entire mythos," she continues. "So his work can hold a lot. This is just another contribution to that world he created. In the end, it's up to the audience – as long as people want to engage with that world, there's going to be dramatic works put out there."

The War of the Rohirrim arrives in cinemas on December 13, 2024. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming movies left in 2024 to fill out your watchlist.

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Read more in the latest issue of SFX magazine, which features Doctor Who's Christmas special 'Joy to the World' on the cover and hits newsstands on Tuesday, December 3. Check out the fittingly festive cover below...

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