The War of the Rohirrim's mixed reception and underwhelming opening weekend.

2026's Hunt for Gollum movie succeeds.

War Of The Rohirrim's Box Office Continues A Worrisome LOTR Trend After Rings Of Power

The Animated Movie & Amazon Series Are Seeing Disappointing Returns

The War of the Rohirrim continues a worrisome trend for The Lord of the Rings, as it's not the only recent Tolkien adaptation to underperform. The Rings of Power season 2 is a separate entity from Warner Bros.' movie franchise, but as it's still an adaptation of Tolkien's works, it features plenty of overlap in its characters and lore. And becoming one of Amazon's top five original shows.

Imagery from War of the Rohirrim with Aragorn from The Two Towers
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The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim changes how we watch The Two Towers, embellishing the movie with a fresh perspective on Rohan.

This means both of the year's LOTR projects yielded less-than-optimal results. And while Amazon's Rings of Power plans have no bearing on Warner Bros.' movie future — and vice versa — it's worth noting that both the show and the animated film tread new territory. Both adapt parts of Tolkien's legendarium that aren't complete stories in the vein of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This requires such projects to put their own spin on Tolkien's writings and add original content, and their results suggest some fans aren't thrilled with how they've handled it.

If The Hunt For Gollum Succeeds, It May Confirm A Harsh Truth About Lord Of The Rings' Future

It Could Push Warner Bros. To Pursue Proven Stories Over More Original Ones

4 Lord of the Rings Stories That Would Have Been Better Than a Gollum Spinoff

With any luck, The Hunt for Gollum will mark a comeback for The Lord of the Rings franchise after The War of the Rohirrim's disappointing box office performance. However, if the 2026 film proves successful, it could confirm a harsh reality about the future of the franchise. The Hunt for Gollum takes place during The Fellowship of the Ring, and could see multiple LOTR cast returning.

If a movie steeped in that much nostalgia succeeds when more original narratives fail, Warner Bros. could take the wrong lesson from that.

If a movie steeped in that much nostalgia succeeds when more original narratives fail, Warner Bros. could take the wrong lesson from that. This could determine whether the future of the franchise after The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim embraces fresh takes on Tolkien's legendarium. It could decide to rehash the same narratives over and over instead, something far too many other big IPs already do in the hopes of replicating the same success.

The Lord of the Rings The War of the Rohirrim official poster

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
PG-13
Animation
Action
Adventure
Fantasy
7/10
37
6.9/10
Release Date
December 13, 2024
Runtime
134 Minutes
Director
Kenji Kamiyama

Cast

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WHERE TO WATCH

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Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated action-adventure fantasy film that follows a King of Rohan named Helm Hammerhand. When his home comes under siege by Dunlendings, Hammerhand prepares himself and his allies to fight back against them, with the war leading to the eventual establishment of Helm's Deep.

Franchise(s)
The Lord of the Rings
Main Genre
Fantasy
Studio(s)
New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Animation, Sola Entertainment
Distributor(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures