We return to Middle Earth in cinema this year with the release of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
The first trailer for the new anime film has now been released and offers fans a first look at the spectacular action. The Rings of Power, The War of the Rohirrim based on the appendices at the end of JRR Tolkien’s The Return of the King.
As explained in the trailer, The War of the Rohirrim takes place 200 years before the War of the Ring, the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But if you’re still a little confused about how it all fits together, we’re here to help.
Here is exactly when The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim takes place on the timeline and how it relates to the events of the original films.
When does the Rohirrim War take place?
Special, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim takes place 183 years before the events of The Hobbitbut that doesn’t sound so catchy in a trailer voiceover.
According to the timeline, Freca – a local ruler of Rohan – was killed by Helm Hammerhand in the year 2754 of the Third Age, an era that began after the (first) defeat of Sauron at the end of the Second Age.
(The Second Age is where The Rings of Power takes place thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It is difficult to say exactly when, as the television series brought together many events that, according to the appendices, took place over hundreds of years.)
Back to The War of the RohirrimFreca’s son Wulf invaded Rohan with an army of Dunlendings, seeking vengeance for his father’s death in 2758. This is the 183-year gap referred to as 2941, when Bilbo Baggins found the One Ring, setting in motion the events of The Hobbit.
We won’t reveal exactly what happens when Wulf conquers Rohan, but after the events of that war between Rohan and Dunland, Súthburg – a fortified ravine in the White Mountains – was renamed Helm’s Deep in honor of Helm Hammerhand.
This is the only significant connection to the original films, although The War of the Rohirrim is narrated by Éowyn, with Miranda Otto reprising her iconic role.
In the spirit of Otto’s return, the film also makes a notable change to the brief mention of the war between Rohan and Dunland in the appendices. Originally, Helm’s daughter had no name, but in the film she is called Hèra and plays an important role in the battle.
Given the time period, no cameos are to be expected in the new film. However, since so little is said about the battle in Tolkien’s appendices, perhaps artistic license was taken to include a return of a fan-favorite actor.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be in theaters on December 13th.
Film Editor, Digital Spy Ian has over 10 years’ experience as a writer and editor in film journalism. He started as an intern at industry bible Screen International and was promoted to report on and analyse UK box office results. He has also carved out his own niche covering horror films, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. In 2019 he became Film Editor, a role in which he has interviewed hundreds of stars including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert on BBC News and on stage at MCM Comic-Con. He continues to push his horror agenda wherever he can – whether his editor likes it or not.
