The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is the franchise's first foray into animation in decades, and it also explores an exciting corner of the fantasy universe. Though J.R.R. Tolkien is predominantly known for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, his Middle-earth mythology runs much deeper, reading something like a history book but with dragons, orcs, and dangerous jewelry. Even though Amazon's The Rings of Power is enjoying more column inches in the Lord of the Rings prequel stakes, other pre-Bilbo projects are in the offing.

Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim represents a stark departure from the Tolkien fare mainstream audiences are familiar with, but given New Line's success previously, there was still plenty of buzz around the animated adaptation. Although Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim touches upon an as-yet-unexplored corner of the beloved fantasy franchise, there was still plenty of familiarity to the newest adventure into Tolkien's universe.

Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim Digital Release Date

Watch The LOTRs Prequel At Home

After it's brief run in theaters, Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim was made available for digital purchase starting December 27, 2024. Platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, and Vudu host the movie for purchase for $24.99, while it can also be rented from those services for $19.99. However, the movie will be available to stream for free for subscribers of Max starting on February 28, 2025.

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Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim Critical Reception & Box Office

A Mixed Response To The Lord Of The Rings Prequel

Despite being connected to one of the most beloved film and TV franchises of all time, The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim didn't get a particularly warm welcome from critics. Though Screen Rant pointed to the movie as an example of what franchises should do, others weren't particularly enthused. War of the Rohirrim only mustered around a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and many of those negative reviews summed the movie up as bland and unnecessary. The Guardian was particularly harsh, deeming the animation as lacking personality and the storytelling as "plodding and joyless."

On the box office front, things are also somewhat bleak. After the movie's first weekend, the film only managed to gross around $10 million (via Box Office Mojo) against its $30 million budget. With an estimated total cost of around $70 million (when considering marketing/distribution costs), the animated adventure fell way short of expectations. Though a turnaround is always possible, the $10 million start might be too slow to make it a financial success.

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The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim released theatrically in the United States on December 13, 2024.

Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim Cast

Brian Cox Leads The Voice Cast

With the Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim cast made up of recognizable stars, the animated adaptation is not unlike its live-action counterparts. Succession's Brian Cox leads the voice cast as Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan. In addition, Miranda Otto narrates the film as her Lord of the Rings role, Éowyn. Gaia Wise (Silent Witness) plays Helm's daughter, Hera, while Luke Pasqualino (Skins) plays Wulf, the antagonistic leader of the Dunlendings.

Christopher Lee reprised his role as the wizard Saruman in the animated film. While Lee ed away in 2015 at the age of 93, his vocal performance is based on previously-recorded lines from The Hobbit trilogy. From a story perspective, Saruman was alive during the time of The War of the Rohirrim, but he wasn't the villainous ally of Sauron quite yet.

The cast of The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim includes:

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Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim Trailer

Watch The Full Trailer Below

In anticipation of the movie's December release date, Warner Bros. debuted a full-length trailer for The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. After showing nostalgic footage of the classic live-action movies, the trailer transitions to animation and introduces the conflict between Helm Hammerhand and the Dunlendings (via narration from Miranda Otto as Éowyn). Massive battle sequences are teased, and the trailer features as small glimpse of the One Ring as an extra tease.

Lord Of The Rings: War Of The Rohirrim Ending & Spoilers

A Small Footnote In Middle-earth History

Unsurprisingly, The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim wasn't going to take many big swings with the franchise lore because it's a prequel, and the ending was equally uncontroversial. Though it thoughtfully wrapped up all the characters' arcs in a succinct way, the ending doesn't really set up much besides what is already known to come later in the Lord of the Rings timeline. However, the ending also doesn't leave much unexplored either, and strikes a fine balance between tiptoeing around established lore, and telling a complete story on its own.

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