“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” charged into theaters this weekend, and its arrival heralded a callback to Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth magic. Not only is the movie a direct prequel to “The Two Towers” (it tells the backstory of the fortress of Helm’s Deep that plays a central role in that film), but it’s also a nostalgia-fest filled with cameos, callbacks, and little hidden details for diehard Tolkien fans to spot.
One of the less hidden details is a tribute to the late, great Bernard Hill. Hill passed earlier this year at the age of 79. While known for several memorable depictions, including Captain Edward J. Smith in “Titanic,” his most recognizable role was that of the aged King Théoden, who shakes off Saruman’s infectious influence, overthrows the Wizard’s armies, and rides to a glorious death on the fields of the Pelennor during the War of the Ring.
It’s no surprise that director Kenji Kamiyama and the creative team behind “War of the Rohirrim” managed to put the In Memoriam text into the movie, especially with it coming out mere months after Hill’s death. The specific line, which appears in the movie’s credit sequence, reads:
In memory of our beloved king of Rohan
Bernard Hill
1944-2024
It’s a beautiful nod to a great actor and a legendary king.
The War of the Rohirrim feels like one giant nod to Théoden
Bernard Hill may have gotten a shout out in the end credits of “The War of the Rohirrim,” but the movie itself feels like one giant nod to the “Lord of the Rings” character he portrayed on screen. While King Théoden may not get a direct mention in the movie, there’s the obvious throughline that he and Helm are kings of the same people.
Éowyn (Miranda Otto) is another connecting point, as Théoden’s niece and the heroine of “The Return of the King” crosses mediums to narrate the anime prequel, too. Hèra, Helm’s daughter, is more than an echo of the Éowyn shieldmaiden persona as well. She also feels like a clear representation of the same ideals Théoden strives to live up to during “The Lord of the Rings.” While “The War of the Rohirrim” stands on its own and tells its own story set hundreds of years before Théoden’s own epic tale, the connections are clear, and they accentuate the honorary moment for the late Hill.
The movie also honors another Lord of the Rings legend
Along with the direct In Memoriam mention for Bernard Hill, another Middle-earth legend received a nod in “War of the Rohirrim.” Christopher Lee is famous for his incredible depiction of Saruman in both the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” trilogies. He was uniquely invested in Tolkien’s world, as he met the author in person, read “The Lord of the Rings” annually, and even watched Jackson’s adaptation the night he died.
As for an honorary moment in “The War of the Rohirrim,” this one comes via a brief cameo. Saruman pops into the film for a moment, and along with being a clear anime depiction of Lee’s iteration of the character, the White Wizard is voiced by Lee himself — even though the British actor died back in 2015. How is that possible, you ask? No, not AI. Producer Philippa Boyens has explained that the film’s creatives found an extra line Lee recorded that was never used for the “Hobbit” films and were able to recycle it into the anime. The result is a brief, nostalgic encore performance by Lee in his most famous role.
Along with these honorary gestures, “The War of the Rohirrim” is laced with other cameos from “The Lord of the Rings,” primarily consisting of Miranda Otto’s reprisal as Éowyn and a surprise performance by Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd (who play Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took in Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” adaptation). The dynamic duo, whose “Lord of the Rings” characters aren’t alive when the film takes place, voice the characters Shank and Wrot. From In Memoriam moments to fun cameos, this film is a great addition to Middle-earth canon — and based on the potentially star-studded “Hunt for Gollum” movie coming in a couple of years, Warner Bros, Jackson, and company are just getting started.
“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is now playing in theaters.
