LotR Prequel: Helm Hammerhand and the Battles of Rohan

Is this the thread to talk about the "many more LotR" films that are supposed to be coming or is there another?

There isn't another. I parked my post here because WB is also doing Helm Hammerhand, so they are sorta tied up together.

There was a bit of a spazz-out elsewhere when the announcement was made. But this was really just a re-upping of the contracts. Nothing to write home about.

Any clips anywhere for this movie yet? Seems to have gone very quiet.

It comes out in one year's time, tomorrow, so that leaves some time for clips and trailers to be released.

I gotta say though, I'm not excited for it at all. Helm's daughter being elevated from a potential bride for the character of Wulf to someone who "helps defend her people" is one thing, but I also dislike the casting of Brian Cox as Helm. He's not a good guy, in his roles, he doesn't fit that type. So to have a man who usually plays villains as the titular lead is probably going to taint my enjoyment of the rest of it.

I'm not sure I'd describe Helm Hammerhand as a good guy. He's pretty dark; killed the leader of the Dunlanders with his fist for daring to suggest that he offer up his daughter for marriage, stalked the camps at night killing people, etc.

Brian Cox is a Shakespearean actor first of all. Known for playing King Lear, etc. I think the role suits him.

turns out Phillipa Boyens is THE guiding hand of the upcoming War of the Rohirrim. I'll say no more.

{{ Well as I dont have a ton of faith in Boyens ability to write in Tolkiens style I'll keep my crabbit at the ready for this. A lot will depend on how they use their invented lead Hera, yes technically she exists in Tolkien as 'daughter' but thats about all we get, so how they show her, as a woman of her time and Tolkiens world, or more likely and unfortunately as a woman of our time and our world uncomfortably showhorned into Tolkiens world.
There is a tiny bit of hope in them saying they looked to Æthelflæd, the Anglo-Saxon Lady who ruled over what was Mercia. She played a crucial role in the overthrow of the Danelaw and in her later years when ill health prevented her taking a more active role she effectively administred and ran the new kingdom. Thing about her was, the thing she is especially noted for, is just what an exception to the norms of the time she was. One shouldnt get the impression she was in any way typical of Anglo-Saxon women, even important ones, she wasnt, she was like Boudica, or Elizabeth I, unique in her time. }}

https://variety.com/2023/film/global/embracer-group-paid-395-million-for-lord-of-the-rings-rights-1235650495/

Something of a bargain, considering Disney paid $4 billion for Star Wars etc...

I'm guessing there's various other projects already deep in pre-production, I've deliberately avoided any news about the Helm Hammerhead film, but it sounds like it could be visually interesting at least...

I'm not really sure if I consider this an adaptation of Tolkien's work, rather than fan fiction that happens to share a few names, it's been some years since I really delved into the appendices but IIRC much of the lore/history of Rohan is in Unfinished Tales (which they don't have the rights to)? the 'source material' is probably even thinner than for ROP so I'm just going to treat it as its own thing, glad to see a different visual take on Middle-earth at least.

https://www-comingsoon-net.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/1326499-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim-release-date?amp=&amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIUAKwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16929318232260&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.comingsoon.net%2Fmovies%2Fnews%2F1326499-lord-of-the-rings-the-war-of-the-rohirrim-release-date

Release date delayed till December 2024.

That's not good

I'm guessing they did some test screenings, got a bad reaction and are doing a major revamp.  Throwing in a final act Oliphaunt chase or something.  The love story between  a Dunlander and an Orc needs rewriting to feel more uplifting.  To heighten audience connection they've shoe-horned in a few Legolas scenes.  Useful chaps, elves.

Haven't listened to it yet. Hopefully has something worth hearing.

{{ I must apologise Chris, I was looking for this thread last night to post that vid in, but for some reason, not at all related to alcohol , I was unable to locate it and ended up bunging it in the Tolkien related vids one instead. Perhaps Amarie can sort it out, after all what's an Admin for if it's not chasing after the local drunkard fixing all the bits they've accidentally and carelessly broken in their rambling wanderings? }}

Thank goodness for Armarie. Don't worry Petty. It gets worse the older you get.
Have listened to it now and it does show promise.
Then again I thought that about the Rings of Power. If I like something I usually watch it more then once. Only watched R of P once.

R of P was sheer torture. If we didn't know it was supposed to be based on something Tolkien wrote it might be pleasant enough but a bit dumb and forgettable. But watching it was like a French person trying to eat a croissant sold by an American convenience store. Knowledge of what it should be is dismal.

Got about halfway through before ready for bed. You'll want to skip the first 15 minutes which is all about LotR. Nothing new here.

After switching to Rohirrim the only truly interesting thing I've gotten so far is that when Tolkien originally came to Oxford as a student and got his modest stipend, one of the first things he spent his meager money on was some japanese prints. And you can see this influence in some of his drawings. So they felt that anime was something Tolkien would appreciate. But they only spent about 15 minutes talking about W. of the Rohirrim.

They did play a nice little game: name your favorite character from each age.

When he asked Boyens, several seconds in, when she was first introduced to Tolkien the pause she gave was much too long, that told me we have an opportunist who thought she could get rich quick with a super glossy film, that would keep people happy without being harassed about the actual story. she said a parent gave her "a book" ( which book ? ) she was 10 yrs old because mummy said so by writing it in this book, lots of stuttering and pauses, but hey, she cant find this elusive book ! well that should get her off the hook a tad, Shes fake and I dont like fake people. IL pick up on this vid later

I'm actually kinda tempted to see this if it ever comes out, viewing it mostly as fan fiction rather than an adaptation, really curious to see an animated take on middle-earth.

You mean a high quality animated take. We've had a few that most found underwhelming, but that was decades ago.