Summary
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimis on the cusp of its theatrical release, and while the very first reviews from early screenings are giving fans the green light for the animated adventure, that might not be such a good sign for another high-profile series.
The Lord of the Ringshas been the gold standard for fantasy since J.R.R. Tolkien first introduced the world to his Middle Earth and has been adapted many times to varying degrees of success. Most notably, filmmaker Peter Jackson would create the highly acclaimedLord of the Ringsfilm trilogy, exponentially increasing the franchise’s reach and favor with the general audience while launching it into a true multimedia success story. After a period of relative dormancy, a recent swath of film and television projects based on Tolkien’s vaunted IP has brought theLord of the Ringsfranchise back into cultural focus withlessons learned from past missteps during the Jackson-ledHobbittrilogy era.
Thanks to its ever-growing multimedia reach, fans were unsurprised but excited when an anime-style theatrical film was announced based on the IP, and in addition to gorgeous visuals and a stellar story to explore,Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrimwas confirmed to be bringing back Christopher Lee in his role as Saruman. While the long wait for the film’s theatrical release is still a few days longer, early screenings have been held, and the comments on social media from those fortunate enough to get early access have been nothing short of supremely encouraging. The online publicationSci-Fi & Fantasy Gazetteput together a short compilation of some of the most exciting comments on the film from social media that’s sure to have fans biting their nails to get into theaters when the film debuts for general audiences on the 13th. While this is great forWar of the Rohirrim, New Line, and Warner Bros., it could be bad news for another project and its parent company: Amazon Studios’ Prime Video showLord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
WhileThe Rings of Poweralready has a third season in developmentat Amazon Studios, the show has seen a sharp drop in ratings since it released its last installment. Even before the show’s second season drop, it saw a sharp decline in viewership over its first season and found itself at the center of some polarizing conversations within the Tolkien fandom. To date, the show has benefit from filling a niche that few other shows even come close to challenging. For most, even an unfavorableLord of the Ringsshow is better than most on principle, and that’s allowed the show to remain relevant while Warner Bros prepares their big-screen offerings based on the IP. However, with the seemingly impending success of the animatedWar of the Rohirrimfilm, there could be a potential change in the way Warner Bros. looks at the TV part of the franchise. With its current weak form and dwindling interest, a well-done animatedLord of the Ringsshow for Max could be a disaster forThe Rings of Power, especially if it’s set in the same age within the franchise and explores stories more in line with the canon for that time period.
It’s a pretty safe bet that Warner Bros isn’t super concerned about how theRings of Poweris doing,and the company even okayeda Max ad throwing shade at the Lord of the Rings-inspired showlast year. Fans can only wait to see if the incoming success ofWar of the Rohirrimreally will spark a more direct conflict between the two massive studios with a stake in theLord of the Ringsfranchise, but it might be for the best. Competition is meant to fuel perpetual improvements, and Amazon’s offering could really use the kick in the keister before it concludes its planned five-season run.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimis set for theatrical release on July 16, 2025.
