Get ready to head back to Middle Earth. We're not talking about the upcoming TV series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, but a new animated movie about the fall of Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan. And, to our surprise, Miranda Otto, who appeared as Éowyn in Peter Jackson's trilogy, will reprise her role.
Now, you may be wondering how Otto returns as the character, seeing as the new movie – full title The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – is set 183 years before the events of the main trilogy. Éowyn won't be a central character, but the narrator of this tale.
The protagonist, Helm Hammerhand, will be voiced by Succession's Brian Cox. Deadline initially reported the news and revealed the movie's synopsis: "A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg – a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Hera [voiced by Gaia Wise], the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction."
The ensemble voice cast also includes Lorraine Ashbourne (Bridgerton), Yazdan Qafouri (I Came By), Benjamin Wainwright (World on Fire), Laurence Ubong Williams (Gateway), Shaun Dooley (The Witcher), Michael Wildman (Hobbs & Shaw), Jude Akuwudike (Beasts of No Nation), Bilal Hasna (BBC’s Sparks) and Janine Duvitski (Benidorm). Kenji Kamiyama, who recently directed an episode of Star Wars Visions, will, ehem, helm the animated film. Philippa Boyens, who was a co-writer on the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, serves as a producer. Animation work is currently ongoing, and a release date of April 12, 2024 has been announced.
