Is there such a thing as the over-saturation of theLord of the Rings? While Prime Video spills billions into its ambitious streaming seriesThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerand Warner Bros. enters production on an upcoming live-action film tentatively titledThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, there has been some collateral damage. This weekend, W.B. debuted the new animated filmThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimin over 30 overseas markets ahead of its domestic debut, and witnessed utter rejection.
The film grossed just $2 million; Spain led the way with a measly $350,000. For context, it made less in its first weekend than Amazon MGM’s holdover under-performerRed Onedid in its fourth frame. Directed byKenji Kamiyama, the anime-inspired film is set nearly 200 years before the events ofPeter Jackson’s landmark Lord of the Rings live-action trilogy. There are currently only three reviews for the film listed on the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, and two of them are positive.
The film was announced and fast-tracked in 2021, to avoid New Line losing the rights toJ.R.R. Tolkien’s novels. Jackson andFran Walsh, who co-wrote and co-produced the live-action trilogy with him, were announced to have boarded the project as executive producers earlier this year. The film tells the story of Helm Hammerhand, a legendary king of Rohan, who wages an epic battle to protect his family and kingdom.Brian Coxvoices the central character, withMiranda Ottoreprising her role as Éowyn from the live-action films. Also featured areLuke Pasqualinoand Gaia Wise.
‘The War of the Rohirrim’ Will Be Released Domestically this Week
In many ways,The War of the Rohirrimmarks a sort of homecoming for the franchise. Before Jackson’s trilogy transcended pop-culture barriers, an animated film byRalph Bakshiwas released in 1978. The trilogy was released between 2001 and 2003, grossing billions worldwide and earning several Oscars. Jackson returned to direct a new trilogy of prequels, based on Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.“The Hobbit movieswere financially successful, but generally considered inferior to the original trilogy. Incidentally, each of the three original films was re-released earlier this year, withThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ringgrossing more thanThe War of the Rohirrimin its opening weekend domestically. The movie will expand into 43 new markets this week, including the United States. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
The untold story behind Helm’s Deep, hundreds of years before the fateful war, telling the life and bloodsoaked times of its founder, Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan.
