The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimgot a mixed reception on its December 13 launch, andWarner Bros.‘Lord of the Ringsromance problem could have something to do with it. The movie was perfectly inoffensive in many ways, and it was refreshing to get a theatrical release for a new anime movie, especially for the first-everLord of the Ringsanime movie. Kenji Kamiyama’s animated picture followsPeter Jackson’sHobbitandLord of the Ringstrilogies, which are undeniably tough acts to follow, but the romance difficulties loomed large.
As the only company that currently has the rights to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’sThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbitnovels into movies, Warner Bros. has a monopoly onLord of the Ringsfilms. Jackson launched a titan of a movie franchise with the firstLord of the Ringstrilogy, debuting characters like Viggo Mortensen’s Aragorn and Miranda Otto’s Éowyn.The War of the Rohirrimmovieobviously riffed off the strength of these characters to create its script and narrative. But whenever it dived into romance territory, even mildly, it faltered.
Hèra And Wulf’s Romantic Dialogue Was The Weakest Part Of The War Of The Rohirrim’s Script
The War Of The Rohirrim Script Was Strong Apart From This One Element
Hèra and Wulf’s dialogue in2024’sWar of the Rohirrimmoviewas the weak point of the script. The script, in general, was fairly strong. It did what it had to do. Penned by Jeffrey Addiss, Will Matthews, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou, the screenplay veered from exposition into action and back well. However,Hèra and Wulf’s interactions were unfortunatefor both them and the audience. Wulf’s advances and Hèra’s responses were cringe-worthy and misjudged, displaying a lack of awareness of how to create believable and romanticLord of the Ringslines.
10 Best Scenes In The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim
There were lots of excellent moments in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, but some stood out as franchise-topping highlights.
War of the Rohirrim’sHèrashared incredibly basic, contemporary, one-dimensional interactions with Wulf. The movie appeared to be set in Middle-earth until these two started talking, and then it moved straight into telenovela territory. ProducerPhilippa Boyens wrote the screenplays for the originalLotRandThe Hobbitbut notably handed the reignsover for this outing. However, it remains to be seen if it was her presence that was missing from this script, or if its flaws signified a more general hole in Warner Bros.’ knowledge when it comes to writingLord of the Ringsromance.
Warner Bros.' Lord Of The Rings Movie Romances Have Experienced Varying Levels Of Success
The Lord Of The Rings Romances Have Been Controversial
Warner Bros.‘Lord of the Ringsmovies included romance with varying degrees of success.Aragorn and Arwen’s relationship inLord of the Ringsgot the V.I.P. treatment and is one of Hollywood’s most iconic romances, both within and outside of the fantasy genre.The Hobbit, however, did not have as many positive contributions to the romance sphere.The Hobbitmovies, in general, were more controversialthan the originalLord of the Ringstrilogy. Not only did they extend one children’s book into three feature-length films, but they added in two original romances that didn’t hit the spot for many.
Warner Bros.’ didn’t feel secure releasing a whole trilogy without a key romance to hang it off, so they invented the divisive Tauriel for both Kili and Legolas.
Dragging the source material out was a commercial move. It risked cheapening Tolkien’s story.The further awayThe Hobbitmovies got from the book, the less they resembled the profound and influential work of fantasy’s greatest writer— and the more they resembled typical Hollywood fare. This was reflected in the movie’s romances. There was no romance in the book; it was an adventure story. The movies were certainly adventures, but Warner Bros.' didn’t feel secure releasing a whole trilogy without a key romance, so the films invented the divisive Tauriel for both Kili and Legolas.
The War Of The Rohirrim Did The Right Thing With Hèra’s Romance Story
Hèra Was Better Off Single Than Ending Up In Love
The War of the Rohirrimwas right to leave Hèra single. The romance notes hit byThe Hobbitmovies for both Kili and Legolas represented a romance problem thatWar of the Rohirrimalso exemplified in its Hèra-Wulf dialogue. However,the anime movie managed to move away from this problematic romancebefore it got any further. Canonically, the whole Third Age Rohirrim war is indeed based on the failed marriage of the daughter ofLord of the Rings’Helm Hammerhand. So, this romance was destined to fail, thankfully. Nonetheless, the movie could have taken it much further.
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The War of the Rohirrimcould have explored the depth of Hèra’s feelings for Wulf, giving her more reason to like him. Likewise, it could have easily made Wulf more lovable. It is a credit to Kenji Kamiyama and the movie’s story creators — Addiss, Matthews, and Boyens — that the romance was reasonably sidelined. In sidelining its romance,War of the Rohirrimbucked a trend inThe Lord of the Ringsmoviesby Warner Bros., which have insisted on centering on romance. The movie did not fall into the same trap thatThe Hobbitdid.
Romance Is Vital In Lord Of The Rings & Future Movies Should Honor That
Love Is A Key Theme In Lord Of The Rings But It Needs The Right Tone Of Voice
Far from being superfluous to the plot, love is one ofLord of the Rings’most important themes, and it should continue to be respected in future adaptations.Movie romances that remain faithful to Tolkien’s legendarium are not just welcome but essentialto telling a story about ancestry, history, and power. Love created marriage, which created lineage, which created the heroes needed to fight evil inThe Lord of the Rings. That’s why romances like Aragorn and Arwen’s should indeed be highlighted and made to shine on-screen. Warner Bros. could add original romance to its movies, but it is risky.
Warner Bros.' nextLotRouting is 2026’sThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Tauriel’s Kili-Legolas love triangle was fun but unnecessary, and it took away from the power of the story that could have been told. WhileWar of the Rohirrimavoided over-the-top focus on Hèra and Wulf, it still didn’t nail this original romance. The reason the Aragorn-Arwen romance dialogue — which was virtually all original — worked was that it sounded likeLord of the Rings. “May the Valar be with you” is as Tolkienian as it comes.The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimshows that Warner Bros. haven’t yet learned that contemporary romance lines will never echo Tolkien’s 1950s masterpiece.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Cast
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.
