It seems New Line Cinema is not done with the world of . J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings. With news of a LOTR live-action TV series in development at Amazon, it was assummed that New Line was done with the beloved fantasy saga following the original trilogy and the three-part Hobbit prequels.
However, THR is reporting that New Line will produce an anime film titled The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, set 250 years before the first film in the original trilogy, 2001's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It will follow the chronicles of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan and dive into the history of Helm's Deep, the fortress at the center of the second film.
Kenji Kamiyama, a veteran of Production I.G, will direct the film from a script written by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, with Philippa Boyens (co-writer of the original trilogy) serving as a consultant. Peter Jackson is not involved with the anime film but is said to have given his blessing.
New Line president and CCO, Richard Brener stated, "Fans know Helm’s Deep as the stage for one of the greatest battles ever put to film and, with many of the same creative visionaries involved and the brilliant Kenji Kamiyama at the helm, we couldn’t be more excited to deliver a fresh vision of its history that will invite global audiences to experience the rich, complex saga of Middle-earth in a thrilling new way."