A special video that unravels the charm of "The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim" (premiering December 27), the first feature-length animated film in the series that portrays the legendary story leading up to "The Lord of the Rings," has been released, featuring rare production footage and storyboards.

The original trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings" (2001), "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002), and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003), based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, made a mark in cinematic history under the direction and co-writing of Peter Jackson. Now, over 20 years later, this new film illustrates a legendary battle set 200 years before the events of "The Lord of the Rings."

Director Kamiyama, a self-proclaimed fan of the original live-action trilogy, stated that when he first got involved in this project, his primary concern was how to faithfully bring the world envisioned by the author J.R.R. Tolkien into animation.

Philippa Boyens, who was responsible for the script of the original live-action trilogy and also produced and wrote "The War of Rohirrim," has long been fascinated by the episodes of King Helm and Helm's Deep, which appear in Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings Appendices." It seems natural that Kamiyama, a leading figure in Japanese animation, was chosen to bring this key sequence of the story to life on screen.

Supporting this decision, scenes from the production reveal the deep trust placed in Kamiyama by the series' staff, and the camaraderie between Peter Jackson, director of the original trilogy, and Kamiyama is also clearly evident.

This animated film has been entirely hand-drawn by top creators at Japan's "Studio Sola Entertainment." On the traditional hand-drawn animation technique, Kamiyama explained, "There's an undeniable sense of awe that audiences unconsciously feel when they see hand-drawn animation."

On the other hand, Boyens commented, "I want every 'The Lord of the Rings' fan to see this. It's precisely because it's animated that it will definitely exceed your imagination." She assured that this film, which beautifully fuses animation with the world of Middle-earth, delivers a one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.

Crafted with the wisdom and skill of Japan's top creators, "The War of Rohirrim" is brought to life through hand-drawn animation. A selection of remarkable stills from the movie has also been released. These include a stunning shot of the proud riders of Rohirrim charging in unison, the "golden ring" that fell into the hands of orcs, the main character Hera (voiced by Fuka Koshiba) and her older brother, the second prince Hama (voiced by Miyu Irino), gazing ahead while mounted on their horses, a majestic eagle soaring above Helm's Deep, and breathtaking images of the night sky, with its twinkling stars and towering structures that could easily be mistaken for live-action footage.

A special video

Source : ORICON NEWS