The War of the Rohirrim: A New Chapter for The Lord of the Rings Franchise

The Legacy of The Lord of the Rings

The War of the Rohirrim will be the first new The Lord of the Rings movie to hit theaters since 2014, and while that's exciting for diehard fans of the franchise, it threatens the franchise's positive box office streak.

Aragorn Frodo and Gimli in Lord of the Rings

Despite the so-so reception of The Hobbit trilogy, all The Lord of the Rings movies boast great box office numbers. Not many movie franchises can say that, and it's a testament to Peter Jackson's fantasy films that they did so well over the course of two trilogies.

Eowyn and Lord of the Rings War of the Rohirrim

Warner Bros. is hoping to capitalize on the success of The Lord of the Rings IP further in the future, and its upcoming animated movie is the first step toward realizing that goal. Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will venture further back in Middle-earth's history than The Hobbit, detailing the story of the former king of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand. Its animated format will bring something new to the franchise, and its plot will expand on J.R.R. Tolkien's lore.

Box Office Triumph of The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies have all been massively successful upon their theatrical releases, with none of them making less than $891 million at the worldwide box office (via The Numbers). The Fellowship of the Ring made a little more than that upon its 2001 release, and its two sequels brought in even bigger box office hauls. 2002's The Two Towers made around $919 worldwide, and The Return of the King surpassed $1 billion. Given the enduring popularity of Jackson's Lord of the Rings adaptation, it's no surprise that the films saw such commercial success — or that their numbers improved as the trilogy continued.

The Hobbit trilogy got more flak from critics and audiences than The Lord of the Rings, but Jackson's second foray into Tolkien's world still fared extremely well in theaters. Riding on the original trilogy's success, 2012's An Unexpected Journey grossed a little over $1 billion. Its sequels saw declining returns, but both still broke $900 million. Such numbers cement The Lord of the Rings franchise's legacy, but unfortunately, The War of the Rohirrim is likely to break its box office streak.

Challenges for The War of the Rohirrim

Although The War of the Rohirrim offers an interesting concept and fresh medium, it's unlikely to see the same success as the earlier Lord of the Rings movies. For one, a $900 million box office return on an anime-style movie is a big ask, especially in a post-pandemic box office. The film is also slated to hit theaters on December 13, 2024 — the week before Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Thunderbolts debut. Needless to say, it faces steep competition, which could hurt its chances of performing as well as its predecessors.

There's also the fact that Prime Video's The Rings of Power and the later Hobbit movies faced greater criticism than the original trilogy, which may leave fans questioning whether they want to see The War of Rohirrim in theaters. Such a project might have been easier to sell on the heels of the first three Lord of the Rings films. Only time will tell if it can maintain their success in 2024.