After experiencingthe deception and manipulation of Saurononce more inThe Rings of PowerSeason 2,Lord of the Ringsfans are about to be introduced to a more grounded human villain withThe War of the Rohirrim. The anime film takes place over 180 years beforePeter Jackson’s beloved original trilogy of fantasy epics,recounting the fate of the legendary King Helm Hammerhand(Brian Cox) of Rohan and his house after a brutal battle with an army of Dunlendings. The opposing lord, Wulf, voiced byLuke Pasqualino, is a cunning, ruthless combatant who sends the king reeling back into the fortress that will one day become Helm’s Deep and is determined to destroy his foe. It isn’t until one particularly stunning moment, however, that Wulf reaches peak villainy to rival the dark lord himself.
WritersArty PapageorgiouandPhoebe Gittinssat down with Collider’sTherese LacsonatNew York Comic Conin the Collider Studio to discuss everythingabout the upcoming anime film, including its main antagonist. Without giving anything away, Gittens teased Wulf’s arc, which initially starts somewhat justified. Before he became a brutal Dunlending lord, Wulf was close with Helm’s daughter, Héra (Gaia Wise), growing up with her and bonding before he eventually adopted his father’s way of thinking. The pair are even set to be wed in a political marriage between Rohan and Dunland until the hot-headed helm gets in a fistfight with Wulf’s father Freca (Shaun Dooley) and kills him. The death sets Wulf on a path of revenge that forces Héra to rally the survivors andlead the defense against him in her father’s stead.
Going to war with the kingdom responsible for murdering your father is arguably a reasonable reaction in Gittins’s eyes. However, the writing team wanted a moment where Wulf fully embraced his dark side. There’s a sequencethat she calls a “point of no return” for the character that leaves him completely irredeemable by the time the credits roll:
“There’s a pretty critical moment. The interesting thing with our villain, with Wulf, is up to a point, he’s kind of justified in what he’s doing. Honestly, you could argue that. So we knew early on we were going to need a pretty serious point of no return for this character to really drive him home into this dark, villainous place. That turning point is possibly one of the moments — I’m not going to give it away — that might shock people.”
‘The War of the Rohirrim’s Creative Team Wanted to Honor Peter Jackson’s Vision
Papageorgiou and Gittins collaborated withJeffrey AddissandWill Matthewsto pen the screenplay ofThe War of the Rohirrimfrom whichKenji Kamiyamadirected. There’s a lot of responsibility that comes with bringing to life one of theoldest and most famous stories from the deep loreofJ.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary novels, but the movie also took into account the widespread love for Jackson’s adaptation of Middle-earth. Kamiyama took on directorial duties in part because he appreciated the movies, includingThe Hobbittrilogy. He previously discussed how the goal was toprotect that vision of Tolkien’s worldwith his movie while trying to recreate that amazement with a different style that better suits his skills. Moments like Wulf’s villainous turn are then meant to impact audiences long after they watch the fantasy epic for the first time.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimhits theaters on December 13. Stay tuned here at Collider for more coverage from New York Comic Con throughout the rest of the weekend.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
The untold story behind Helm’s Deep, hundreds of years before the fateful war, telling the life and bloodsoaked times of its founder, Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan.
