The Lord of The Rings franchise is taking its talents to anime.

In the forthcoming film, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, fans are back in Middle Earth — but this time its animated, adding a new layer to the story that fans have supported since the beginning.

“I think that we’ve set a new precedent about how to present full-length, dramatic enemy films,” Brian Cox, who voices Helm Hammerhand in the film, told Blavity’s Shadow and Act.

“And this certainly is full-length, and it’s certainly incredibly dramatic, but at the same time, it is brilliantly allegorical. It tells a tale of then, but also tells a tale of now, in its imagery,” he continued. “I think it’s an amazing film, I really do. The voice part is really the very small cog in that wheel. But you have to have the voices. You have to have the voice. And I’m blessed. My voice has been my thing, it’s the thing I believed in since I was 15.”

What is The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim about?

According to an official film synopsis, “A sudden attack by Wulf, a ruthless Dunlending lord, forces Helm Hammerhand and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Helm’s daughter, Héra, must lead the resistance against a deadly enemy who’s intent on total destruction.”

Hèra’s (Gaia Wise) role as Helm’s daughter adds a new perspective to the lore of Rohan, which is why Wise was intentional about giving her a voice that feels authentic, yet empowering.

“I think it was showing her maturity throughout the film,” Wise told us. “I think what I love about Helm and Hèra’s relationship is that it adds a human quality to Helm, who is really only ever described as this sort of war hero and this incredibly strong fighter.”

She added, “I really wanted to bring a human quality to Hèra, because I think sometimes with the women in the Tolkien universe, they’re quite ethereal. … I wanted her to feel vulnerable. I wanted her to be someone that people could relate to, you know, not just her adventurous spirit, but her fear. And then, yeah, showing how she doesn’t let that fear overcome her like it did Wulf.”

Laurence Ubong Williams voices the character Fréaláf, who is sort of the opposite of Wulf, voiced by Luca Pasqualino.

“Fréaláf and Wulf are kind of like yin and yang,” Williams said. “Wulf is what happens if you let fear govern you — you get motivated by the negative side — whereas, Fréaláf is about patience. Fréaláf is about optimism. Fréaláf is about just being stoic when one needs to be. I don’t think you need to be stoic all the time or epicurean all the time, but it’s about having that balance. He just finds that time, right? This is the way things have to be for now, but not forever. And when the time comes to make that change, I’ll be there with my people to make that change. And I really admire that about Fréaláf.”

Where can I watch The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim?

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim premieres in theaters on Dec. 13.

Check out our full cast interview below:

Brian Cox

Get relevant content delivered to you once a week