Artistic expression continues to change, and one of the consequences of that is felt in the modern era of fan fiction. Not fan fiction in the traditional sense – with amateur writers penning their favorite works since as early as the original Star Trek series – but in the form of works produced by major movie studios. The sea-changing moment of this dynamic occurred when George Lucas signed a multi-billion dollar deal to award Lucasfilm to Disney, thus removing the creator of Star Wars from all future films and TV shows. For if the person who originally envisioned a world and its inhabitants is no longer involved with the creative process, would those future works not be considered fan fiction (Yes, even Andor)? I ask that because it’s a question of authencity that also currently impacts the Lord of the Rings franchise.
To be clear, “fan fiction” should not be considered a pejorative but rather a neutral statement that aims to give context to a work. Nonetheless, the impact of JRR Tolkien’s influence on the Lord of the Rings has lessoned with each passing decade as the likes of Warner Bros and Amazon have been able to produce and distribute modern adaptations of Middle Earth. For some, this is an immediate deal breaker – any work that frays from Tolkien’s source material is considered sacrilegious. However, given the nature of IP-driven pop culture, all major works can be expected to outlive their creator, and if those franchises continue to produce new material, it will inevitably venture into fan-fiction regardless of it’s quality. So, Andor may have been one of your favorite shows of the last few years, but it’s not a George Lucas story – it’s a Tony Gilroy story using Lucas’ toys.
Something similar could be said for The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim. An animated prequel, the film’s draw is its vivid art style, and how director Kenji Kamiyama will choose to depict this era of Middle Earth. The story at play in The War of Rohirrim occurs 183 years before the battle of the One Ring, and follows Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan and the man whose name will be used to mythologize the famed Helms’s Deep. Hammerhand’s rule as king was a war-torn era, which must make Warner Discovery giddy since that is ripe for prequel projects such as this. Sorry, peace-time kings of Middle Earth, but I don’t think Hollywood producers are looking your way for the next LOTR film. Challenging Hammerhand is a violent threat that puts the king and his loved ones in mortal danger:
A sudden attack by Wulf, a ruthless Dunlending lord, forces Helm Hammerhand and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Helm’s daughter, Héra, must lead the resistance against a deadly enemy who is intent on total destruction.
That’s from the official synopsis and paints the picture of a simplistic conflict but with heavy stakes. The trailer, below, elongates that premise further, illustrating a familiar dilemma between father and daughter – a king dealing with the stresses of war and the right for his flesh and blood to be willing to fight:
“tHe BoY yOu KnEw Is GoNe!!”
The story doesn’t seem particularly deep, but the film overall seems very entertaining. The animation is strong, and there are quite a few sequences here that would look excellent on a large screen. One of the standouts is seeing Héra run for her life from a monstrous oliphaunt, which seems to be just one portion of a larger sequence. The Lord of the Rings has always combined scenic vistas with the spectacle of magic and war, and animation is a primed and ready reservoir for that type of action.
Perhaps their isn’t much more to it than just that, the spectacle of it all. But it is my hope that the trailers are merely selling audiences on the action and worthwhile animation and that they’ll be more depth to the characters and conflict in the finished project. The story centers on a noble king in the midst of conflict, but while also having to parent a daughter that has entered adulthood and wants the autonomy of being able to do battle. This isn’t a particularly groundbreaking premise, but it’s execution will be counted in the details, which puts the onus on Kamiyama to arm this father-daughter plot line with real pathos and intrigue. The film’s primary antagonist appears to be Wulf, who looks to control and direct an army in an act of revenge. The character’s history with Héra will see their relationship tested most by the conflict that threatens to consume Rohan, leaving the film to make declarations on what defines the two as characters as their life’s journeys seem to be diverging.
All in all, while I’m hardly kicking the door down to get into the theater, there’s enough visual artistry and intriguing character dynamics to make this a movie worth seeking out. It’s largely uncharted territory for The Lord of the Rings, its one previous big foray into animation being the polarizing, but also very dated 1978 adaptation. The War of Rohirrim has a bigger budget and larger scope than that production, but can it carry over the depth, metaphors, and existential weight present in Tolkien’s words? That will be much harder to do, but ultimately, the story has to stand on its own behind the vision of its filmmakers. For while it may option his toys, this is not a J.R.R. Tolkien story.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim hits theaters everywhere December 13, 2024.
