No elves, dwarves or hobbits, the lord of the rings returns to the big screen with a new Japanese anime-style film that focuses on the human warriors of the fictional universe of J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is a prequel that takes place almost two centuries before the events narrated in the Oscar-winning films of Peter Jacksonwhich are adaptations of the books by J. R. R. Tolkien.
But unlike the first productions of the lord of the ringsor the disappointing films of The Hobbit that followed, this time there are no magic rings or powerful knights in black. “If you watch the original trilogy, you’re talking about hobbits and elves and dwarves and monsters,” the director said. Kenji Kamiyama in a recent press conference.
Instead, the new film is “rooted in drama and human emotion (…) greed and power,” explained the Japanese artist who worked on animated versions of star wars y Blade Runner.
In 2021, the Hollywood studio Warner Bros. announced that the next film the lord of the rings It would be an anime, a visual style and a typically Japanese genre that has become very popular in the West in recent years. The filmmakers traversed the vast stories that Tolkien he wrote as footnotes to his beloved novels. They soon came up with a brief description of a civil war between a king and a rebellious knight.
“It was not about ‘We have the story, with what type of animation are we going to tell it?’“, said Philippa Boyenswho also participated in the scripts of the trilogies of the lord of the rings y The Hobbit.
“Actually it was the other way around. “There was something about this particular story (…) that seemed intrinsically suited to that great tradition of Japanese cinema that is anime.” This tradition translates into themes such as honor, loyalty, pride, and a fearsome female protagonist, in the style of the famous Princess Mononoke of the Studio Ghibli.
The Rohirrim War is set in Rohan, the kingdom of Viking-like horseman warriors who stood out in the film Jackson 2002 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
The film revisits key locations from that production, such as the epic Helm’s Deep battlefield, and is narrated by Miranda Ottowho played a heroic Rohan warrior in the Jackson.
The plot begins with the ambitious Lord Freca plotting to marry his son to Hera, the daughter of the king of Rohan. When the proud monarch contemptuously rejects the offer, Freca mutinies against the throne, but is struck down. Exiled, the son promotes a massive rebellion that will unleash a catastrophic war in the kingdom.
Although it is a central part of the conflict, Tolkien He didn’t even bother to give the princess a name in his extensive footnotes.
But Boyens was fascinated by the idea of expanding this mysterious character, who witnesses and ties up the various heroes, villains and battles of the new film. “We didn’t want her to be a warrior princess, a superhero, a boss,” she said. Boyens. “We wanted it to look real. “She is very curious, she makes mistakes.”
Peter Jackson served as executive producer for this new project, but “stepped away” from the day-to-day work, encouraging Kamiyama to put his anime stamp on the film, according to Boyens. “There are elements of acted films that seep into the world,” he added. But “they sneaked in very well around the edges.”
“Story-wise, we obviously wanted to stay true to the universe of TolkienKamiyama said. “But at the same time, staying true to what we do best, which is making anime.”
Fuente: AFP
(Photos: screenshots and Warner Bros.)
