Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim stars on breaking barriers in Tolkien lore

The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim is a film of several firsts. It’s not only the first animated movie in the franchise in 45 years, but it’s also the first film to have a female lead, Héra Hammerhand played by Gaia Wise, something that’s long overdue.

“I think it's incredibly important for a younger generation of Lord of the Rings fans to have a female lead, especially for girls, to have someone, a character like Héra to connect to, to see her growth in the film,” explained Gaia when I recently had the chance to sit down and talk to the film’s cast.

Check out The War of the Rohirrim trailer below!

“They’ll see that her vulnerabilities are very obvious but they're not used as a weakness,” she continued. “They’re used as a strength. Historically, vulnerability has been a weakness with women and I think this being her power is incredibly important, and it was just an absolute joy to be able to bring her to life.”

Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set thousands of years before Peter Jackson’s live-action movies and it shook up Tolkien’s lore by casting actors from various backgrounds to play diverse leading characters. This left the door open for future The Lord of the Rings productions to follow its lead, something that Laurence Ubong Williams who plays Fréaláf, a loyal friend of Héra, welcomed with open arms.

“I remember seeing advertisements on buses featuring people of colour starring in The Rings of Power and [thinking] that series has potentially opened a new door,” Laurence told me. “I’ve been a fan of The Lord of the Rings since the original movie trilogy and back then, I thought, ‘Wouldn't it be great as a person of colour to star in a production,’ and here we are. So if a person of colour stars in a leading role one day, then that absolutely should be celebrated.”

Warner Bros. Pictures

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is one of the most visually stunning movies I’ve had the pleasure of watching in a long time with its anime art style rivalling some of the best productions the genre has to offer.

“The anime art style is complex and beautiful. Gosh, the artists are the real heroes of this film,” said Gaia, praising those behind the scenes. “I think it lends itself so well to the Tolkien world because of its beautiful landscapes. Seeing this production come together is powerful, soulful, and it’s a marriage that works so well.”

“I’ve seen [director] Kenji Kamiyama’s Blade Runner: Black Lotus series and how he’d taken Ridley Scott’s sci-fi universe and adapted it into Japanese anime,” Laurence recalled. “I thought, ‘WOW, what a marriage.’ So when I was offered the opportunity to star in his adaptation set in Middle-earth, I wanted to be part of it.”

A major sub-plot of The War of the Rohirrim is that of the Shieldmaidens, a legendary band of female warriors that once defended Rohan until their last dying breath. They were briefly mentioned in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by Éowyn, played by Miranda Otto, who narrates this movie and is believed to be the last of the warriors. Finally, the Shieldmaidens are getting some well-deserved recognition, but it would be fantastic to see them explored further in future productions, perhaps with Héra leading the charge.

Warner Bros. Pictures

“That would be very exciting,” said Gaia with a smile. “With Éowyn, you can see that her strength has been passed down from generation to generation and with Héra, continuing the story of the Shieldmaidens, [it] is possibly something that could be looked into.”

To which Laurence jokingly replied, “Are you hinting?”

One of the strongest assets of Peter Jackson's movies are the wonderful soundtracks, composed by Howard Shore. In The War of the Rohirrim, Stephen Gallagher has the honour of supercharging our emotions in some of the most powerful scenes.

“Gallagher knocked it out of the park,” Gaia explained. “The scenes that I did were already very emotional but when I got to play them hearing the music through headphones, I was bawling my eyes out. The soundtrack is an absolute joy.”

Warner Bros. Pictures

The concept of a Lord of the Rings anime is new to many fans, and to those sitting on the fence as to whether a trip to the cinema is justified, Gaia and Laurence were keen to let us know why this movie is worth every bit of our attention.

“If for nothing else, The War of the Rohirrim is beautiful. It captures the emotion and power of Tolkien’s world,” Gaia explained. “It’s also about family, friendship and courage, an essence captured in the Peter Jackson movies. It’s something that I believe fans will enjoy.”

“Middle-earth and anime is a perfect marriage. It brings Tolkien’s world into the 21st century and I’m so excited to enjoy this movie for myself and others to embrace it,” added Laurence.

In my review of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, I said it’s a captivating tale “brought to life with its heroic story, stunning animation, and excellent performances from top to bottom, and I can’t wait to watch it again and again”.

You can read my interview with the director of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Kenji Kamiyama.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim arrives in cinemas on 13 December 2024.