Over 20 years after the original trilogy ended, “The Lord of the Rings” remains strong as a franchise. With the “The Hobbit” trilogy in 2013 and “The Rings of Power” in 2021, The Lord of the Rings continues to stay relevant throughout the years. On Dec. 12, a new project will be released from the franchise, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim”.

The theatrical film will be a prequel to the original trilogy, set 183 years prior. It will follow the king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, and his daughter Hera, as they battle to defend their kingdom. One characteristic of this film stands out, however. It’s animated, and in an anime artstyle. Students of FHN have their opinions on if this was the best choice.

“If it takes the same route that so many other fantasy and sci-fi franchises take and panders too much to the fans, they’re really going to alienate a lot of casual viewers,” senior Aiden Caby said. “They’re tapping into a very niche demographic with the choice of series, setting, and art style. If they can’t pull off a good story, a lot of people aren’t going to want to see it.”

“War of the Rohirrim” is considered canon to the other The Lord of the Rings films, although the film will not be directly connected to the events of The Lord of the Rings. As far as its relation with the original Tolkein books, War of the Rohirrim is based on lore found in the appendices of the final book “The Return of the King”. The film will be produced by Peter Jackson, who also directed and produced the three Lord of the Rings movies, as well as the three Hobbit movies.

“I think it’s an awesome idea,” senior Griffin Hanlon said. “Making an existing IP into an anime and crossing over that gap is a really cool idea because it shows you different versions of your favorite worlds, and it can tell a completely new story with a completely new style while sticking to that same established world. I think it’s really good.”