Middle-earth has returned to the big screen with The War of the Rohirrim, an anime-style film telling the story of Helm Hammerhand. This film, set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s world, was co-written by Philippa Boyens, who also worked on the screenplays for Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy. Looking ahead, Boyens is open to creating more standalone films exploring specific aspects of Tolkien’s mythology. She even hinted that the studio might embark on another epic project following the already-announced Gollum spinoff.
“When you immerse yourself in anything Professor Tolkien wrote, you can see the intricate storytelling and how everything is interconnected,” Boyens told The Playlist. She believes Middle-earth offers endless creative opportunities, a sentiment reinforced by the success of The War of the Rohirrim. “The film has shown us that standalone stories work beautifully in Middle-earth, and I’ve fallen in love with this format. I’d really love to see more anime films.”
Boyens noted that while Warner Bros./New Line hasn’t officially started developing new animated films, discussions are underway. The future direction of the revived franchise depends largely on audience reception.
“It’s up to the viewers—not just fans of the original trilogy but also the anime audience. I’m eager to hear what they think. The ball is in their court. There are so many stories waiting to be told, and some of them are incredibly compelling. Personally, I’d love to continue with these standalone tales after The Hunt for Gollum. And if we decide to aim higher, there are a few epic stories that would lend themselves beautifully to a traditional, epic trilogy like the original The Lord of the Rings,” Boyens said.
It seems likely that Middle-earth’s cinematic journey won’t end with the upcoming Gollum film, directed by Andy Serkis, with Peter Jackson involved in its production. Jackson is also an executive producer on The War of the Rohirrim. Meanwhile, Amazon continues to expand its separate Tolkien-inspired series, The Rings of Power. However, the two franchises remain independent of each other.
