The Lord of the Rings franchise afresh in 2024 with a controversial protagonist choice, but I think I understand the direction the movie is going in. The movie will be the first Warner Bros. Lord of the Rings movie since Peter Jackson's esteemed The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was released in 2003 (not counting the related Hobbit films). Directed by Kenji Kamiyama instead of Peter Jackson and utilizing anime instead of live-action, the movie's protagonist is perhaps the least surprising thing about it.

The War of the Rohirrim movie will adapt The House of Eorl, a short story from "Appendix A" of high fantasy icon J.R.R. Tolkien's magnum opus, The Lord of the Rings. The story is set in Third Age Rohan, 132 years before the birth of Bilbo Baggins, and it covers Rohan's fighting with the neighboring Dunlendings. Warner Bros.'s turn to anime for this franchise makes sense, pairing one of fantasy's most revered art forms with one of its most revered authors. However, the movie's main character is creating some confusion among fans.

The War Of The Rohirrim's Helm Hammerhand Choice Is A Bit Perplexing

The Movie Has Made Some Confusing Choices

The War of the Rohirrim movie has revealed Helm Hammerhand's daughter as its main character, which polarizes fans because she only had a very small role in the source material. One line, to be exact, was devoted to Hammerhand's daughter in the short story, and she wasn't even named. The movie gives her a name and a voice, centering on her own choice in the movie's conflict over her hand in marriage. The lack of material to adapt makes Hammerhand's daughter, named Hèra in the movie, a strange choice of main character, at first glance.

Quite beyond this, the movie's decision to adapt The House of Eorl in the first place could be seen as an odd one. Out of all the fantastical Lord of the Rings stories to adapt, Warner Bros. chose one of the only ones focused more on humans than mythical fantasy races, which perhaps misses the opportunity anime presents. But also, Helm Hammerhand was the focus of this short story, and there are a few reasons why a movie about Helm Hammerhand may not be the best decision for Warner Bros.

I Think I Understand Why Helm Hammerhand Can't Be The Movie's Sole Main Character

Helm Hammerhand Was Larger Than Life

The audacious Helm Hammerhand may have been the focus of The War of the Rohirrim's source material, but he was more of a larger-than-life figure than a fully-formed protagonist. Helm Hammerhand was clearly a complex man and more of an antihero than a hero, becoming one of Rohan's greatest legends through extreme violence and an insubordinate will, dominant even in death. I must it, learning more about this living legend sounds tempting. However, despite his potential, creating too much original dialogue for this legend may actually have end up reducing, rather than enhancing, his status.

The challenge of adapting wider Lord of the Rings lore is often the lack of dialogue - Tolkien painted his picture of Middle-earth with broad strokes, leaving granular details like dialogue to the imagination. Tolkien's narratives of the earlier Third Age, plus the Second and First Ages, were epic and driving stories of honor and vengeance ed down through generations, rather than profoundly realized psychological portraits of characters. Inventing lots of dialogue for Helm Hammerhand's daughter as well as Helm may help take the focus off Helm, protecting his myth and enigma.

Helm Must Still Be An Integral Part Of 2024's Lord Of The Rings Movie

Helm Hammerhand Should Shine In The Movie

Helm Hammerhand should still feature heavily in The War of the Rohirrim picture, and it seems as if he will, despite Hèra taking center stage. Hammerhand will be voiced by the legendary Brian Cox, whose experience in fantasy makes me extremely excited to see the character come to life. This casting choice confirms the movie's understanding of Hammerhand's character and importance, suggesting that the Rohirrim king will be honored in the movie. Helm Hammerhand's appearance in The War of the Rohirrim trailer also suggests his value and role in the movie.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim trailer proves that the movie won't skip Hammerhand's pivotal moment. Hammerhand's altercation with a key Dunlending catalyzes the events of the movie, and this is shown in the trailer. The best parts of Hammerhand's arc, however, come later in The House of Eorl. The movie must retain the structure of Hammerhand's narrative so that his legend can resonate through the ages, and eventually reach the Rohirrim of Peter Jackson's movies, who held Helm in awe as an ancestor of great might.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be released on December 13, 2024.

At first, it may not seem logical that Helm Hammerhand isn't the main point-of-view character in The War of the Rohirrim. However, as far as I'm concerned, sometimes leaving Tolkien's creations in-tact rather than introducing character-altering dialogue is preferable. The Rings of Power's Galadriel is a perfect example. While Hèra is not an original character, she may as well be, in the context of this movie, for all intents and purposes. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will have to invent Hèra's character from scratch. And, in fact, this blank slate may be just what the movie needs.