A new "The Lord of the Rings" anime film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's work will debut in China on Dec. 14.

A Chinese poster for "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim." [Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

The anime feature "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" returns audiences to the world of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's books. Peter Jackson, director of the live-action films, serves as executive producer.

Award-winning director Kenji Kamiyama helms the project from a screenplay by Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. The voice cast includes Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, Gaia Wise as Héra and Luke Pasqualino as Wulf. Miranda Otto reprises her role as éowyn from the original trilogy as the tale's narrator.

"Of course, I love the books but it was really the Peter Jackson movies, the trilogy, that had a huge impact on me," Kamiyama said. "I went to the opening day of every single movie. So, to take on this project, what was necessary was to try to find myself back at the first time I fell in love with this world, to regain the perspective of fans who have essentially been staying with this franchise for a long, long time."

The feature is produced by Oscar winner Philippa Boyens, who was part of the screenwriting team for "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies, alongside Jason DeMarco and Joseph Chou. It features returning creative collaborators Alan Lee, Richard Taylor and Tolkien illustrator John Howe from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Stephen Gallagher, music editor for Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" trilogy, composes the score.

Set 183 years before the original trilogy, the anime film follows the legend of heroine Héra and chronicles the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. After a sudden attack by Wulf, a vengeful Dunlending lord, Helm and his people make their last stand at the Hornburg fortress, later known as Helm's Deep. In this desperate hour, Helm's daughter Héra must lead the resistance against an enemy bent on their destruction. The War of the Rohirrim appears briefly in Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" appendices, where Héra is unnamed. The film's creators gave her the name, and Kamiyama saw powerful potential in the story.

Creating an epic anime adaptation posed significant challenges. "When I was first asked 'Would you like to take this on?' my initial reaction was that it was impossible to do hand-drawn animation because of the number of soldiers on screen, the intricacies of design, the horses," Kamiyama recalled. "But it was a chance to take on something that I loved and really admired. I had to take it. I just didn't know how. But with Wētā, it was so incredible to be working with them. We worked out the process of making it happen. It was an amazing honor."

Producer Joseph Chou said the project presented unique hurdles. "The challenge was not just to create animation but to do something that was faithful to this universe. To do that, we needed many animators and resources. It was a monumental task to gather enough animators to take this on. I think we worked with more than 60 companies from around the world. The ingenious idea that Kamiyama came up with was to utilize motion capture, highly detailed models and hand-drawn animation — this allowed us to have, for instance, 2,000 horses running in a scene."

Kamiyama expressed hope that viewers would recognize the unique qualities of Japanese anime, which offers dramatized stories that appeal across age groups. "It started out with a journey to the unknown, with so much uncertainty, but now that we're looking at release, it's incredible," he said.

Chinese cosplayers pose for a photo at the Beijing premiere of "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim," Dec. 10, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

Fans packed the Beijing premiere, where costumed characters and themed displays filled the lobby, showcasing the global appeal of "The Lord of the Rings" franchise.

"What keeps people interested in 'The Lord of the Rings' is the fact that it's all about human nature, things that speak to us, things that speak to our souls," said Gaia Wise, who voices Héra. "It's about kindness, love, looking after the planet, the aftermath of wars. There is so much that we can relate to across generations."

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