The Lord of the Rings anime producer explains why they didn’t want the movie "to involve Dark Lords or rings"

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Exclusive: Philippa Boyens says they wanted to take a "fresh" approach with the new spin-off

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)

The team behind new anime movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim were initially hesitant about returning to the world of Middle-earth.

As producer Philippa Boyens tells SFX magazine in the new issue, which features Doctor Who's Christmas special 'Joy to the World' on the cover, she wanted to be sure they were not re-treading old ground.

"One of the reasons why I kept getting stuck on what our foray back into the world of Middle-earth could be was that we didn’t want it to involve Dark Lords or rings, and that it could be a self-contained story, that it wouldn’t necessarily involve characters that we already knew, that this could revolve around a whole fresh set of characters," she explains. "I felt it needed to be a story that could stand alone in the form of animation – and I always loved the Rohirrim as a people, I found them fascinating."

It helped too, the producer adds, that it was a new animated approach. Boyens continues: "I was always a little bit sceptical. It wasn’t until Warner Bros came to us and said, 'What about an anime film?' that I felt, 'Yes, an anime film could absolutely work in Middle-earth.' The story of Helm immediately came to mind as soon as they said anime."

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The War of the Rohirrim is set 183 years before Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films, telling the story of Helm Hammerhand. He was a legendary king of the Rohan who defended his kingdom against an army of Dunlendings. The voice cast includes Brian Cox in the lead role as Hammerhand, alongside Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, and Miranda Otto.

"It felt like a story that would fit well within the tradition of great Japanese cinematic storytelling," Boyens explains. "Not just themes of honor, but of family, and that sense that even our heroes have quite significant flaws, in the case of Helm Hammerhand."

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim releases in theaters on December 13. 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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Jack Shepherd
Jack Shepherd
Freelance Journalist

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.