The original anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, directed by Kenji Kamiyama, returns audiences to the epic world brought to life in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, based on the revered books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Also read: Movie Review: A ‘Lord of the Rings’ tradition turns small-scale in the anime ‘Rohirrim’
Speaking about her introduction to The Lord of the Rings, Gaia Wise, who voices the character of Héra, daughter of Helm Hammerhand, the mighty King of Rohan (Brian Cox), says, “I read the books when I was wee, and then I think the first time I saw the films I was 12 or 13. I’ve since watched them at least four times a year, because I will suddenly fancy seeing them again, so it will be three nights in a row—one, two, three.”
On the fans’ ongoing passion for Tolkien’s world, she says, “I think what keeps people interested in The Lord of the Rings is the fact that they are all about human nature, things that speak to us, things that speak to our souls. They’re about kindness, love, looking after the planet, the aftermath of wars. There is so much that we can relate to across the generations, from people who read Tolkien when Tolkien was writing, to those who read everything he wrote through the years,” adding, “I think his work will be everlasting, because the world he created is so dramatic, beautiful and heartfelt, and just resonates with every generation.”
Sharing what she thought of the script when she first read it, Wise says, “When I read the script, all of the lore from the original, in-depth Tolkien universe was woven into it. The writing was beautiful and heart breaking, I cried. So, to be able to have such an emotive reaction to just the words, I thought, this is going to look so good when it’s in anime form.”
On her character, Héra, Wise shares, “When I saw a sketch of Héra in her warrior outfit, I got very excited, because I’m from a family of redheads as well. My aunt was a fiery redhead like her, so that made me happy,” adding, “When I read the script, I thought, this is just fantastic, she’s a kick-ass female character, and there are many of them in The Lord of the Rings. What I loved about her journey, which is very different from Éowyns and Arwens, is that Héra really matures and comes into her own as the film goes on. At the beginning, she’s just been a tearaway child, then you see her being given these mighty burdens to carry on her shoulders. There’s this mounting sense that she has to defend her people, she has to be the saviour, and that was wonderfully shown through her storyline.”
Also read: The Rings of Power is set to return for season 3, announcement expected this month: Report
Talking about her own connection to her character, Wise says that because she loves the wilderness, being out, running around and having a real connection with nature, it was something she found immediately when I she read Héra. “I think what was lovely was, through the process of making this film, I’ve grown, so I got to bring some of that growth to her without even realising it, but just by being as connected as I’ve been to her for the last three years. I hope some of her tenacity and courage have come into my everyday life, as well,” Wise ends.
About The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Set 183 years before the events chronicled in the original trilogy of films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg — a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on their total destruction.
