Skip to main content

Not sure about that upcoming Lord of the Rings anime? You can check out the first eight minutes for free online to help you make up your mind

They're a pretty good eight minutes if you ask me!

A woman with long red hair pointing a sword at something offscreen in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
Image credit: Warner Bros.

If you aren't sure how well something like Lord of the Rings and anime would mix, the first eight minutes of The War of Rohirrim have been shared online.

Personally, when I heard that an anime film set within the world of Lord of the Rings was in the works, I was quite quickly sold, especially with a director like Kenji Kamiyama at the helm. But not everyone is so quick to be convinced, which is fine, I guess, so lucky for you there's a relatively speedy and easy way to figure out if you do want to go and see The War of Rohirrim in cinemas. Yesterday, IGN shared a look at the first eight minutes of the animated film, which was first originally shared at New York Comic Con this year. Aren't we lucky that we all get to watch it without having to deal with the (expensive) anxiety of being stuck in a convention centre with way too many people bumping into you!

While eight minutes isn't much from the 134 minute runtime, I think it seems to be a pretty good introduction to the film, and to potential audience members too. It certainly seems to capture that classic Peter Jackson-esque Lord of the Rings feel, just animated! If you've not heard of the film yet, here's the synopsis for you: "Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan.

Watch on YouTube

"A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg - a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction."

You don't have very long to wait if you are interested in checking the film out now either, as it's currently set to be released in cinemas next week, December 13.

Read this next