The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimhas set a surprising box office record, andit continues a trend that’s worrisome for the franchise’s future.War of the Rohirrimis Warner Bros.' firstLOTRmovie to hit theaters sinceThe Hobbittrilogy’s conclusion a decade ago. The film adapts characters and events only briefly touched on in J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices, and it does so in an animated format. Such elements make it a risky endeavor, and that shows inThe War of the Rohirrim’s mixed receptionand underwhelming opening weekend.
The War of the Rohirrimset a new box office lowfor Peter Jackson’s universe, with its opening weekend bringing in an estimated $5 million (viaDeadline). This is the lowest opening sinceThe Fellowship of the Ringdebuted in 2001, accumulating $47.2 million. GivenThe War of the Rohirrim’s $30 million budget, its performance doesn’t look great forThe Lord of the Ringsfranchise. This continues a disappointing trend for recentLOTRstories — one that doesn’t bode well for the future, even if2026’sHunt for Gollummoviesucceeds.
War Of The Rohirrim’s Box Office Continues A Worrisome LOTR Trend After Rings Of Power
The Animated Movie & Amazon Series Are Seeing Disappointing Returns
The War of the Rohirrimcontinues a worrisome trend forThe Lord of the Rings, asit’s not the only recent Tolkien adaptation to underperform.The Rings of Powerseason 2 is a separate entity from Warner Bros.' movie franchise, but as it’s still an adaptation of Tolkien’s works, it features plenty of overlap in its characters and lore. AndThe Rings of Powerseason 2 saw declining viewershipnumbers in 2024, even as it passed a big milestone bybecoming one of Amazon’s top five original shows.
2024’s New Lord Of The Rings Movie Changes How You’ll Watch The Two Towers From Now On
The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim changes how we watch The Two Towers, embellishing the movie with a fresh perspective on Rohan.
This means both of the year’sLOTRprojects yielded less-than-optimal results. And while Amazon’sRings of Powerplans have no bearing on Warner Bros.' movie future — and vice versa — it’s worth noting that both the show and the animated film tread new territory. Both adapt parts of Tolkien’s legendarium that aren’t complete stories in the vein ofThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings.This requires such projects to put their own spin on Tolkien’s writings and add original content, and their results suggest some fans aren’t thrilled with how they’ve handled it.
If The Hunt For Gollum Succeeds, It May Confirm A Harsh Truth About Lord Of The Rings' Future
It Could Push Warner Bros. To Pursue Proven Stories Over More Original Ones
With any luck,The Hunt for Gollumwill mark a comebackforThe Lord of the Ringsfranchise afterThe War of the Rohirrim’s disappointing box office performance. However, if the 2026 film proves successful, it could confirm a harsh reality about the future of the franchise.The Hunt for Gollumtakes place duringThe Fellowship of the Ring,and could see multipleLOTRcast members returning.
If a movie steeped in that much nostalgia succeeds when more original narratives fail, Warner Bros. could take the wrong lesson from that.
If a movie steeped in that much nostalgia succeeds when more original narratives fail, Warner Bros. could take the wrong lesson from that. This could determine whether the future of the franchise afterThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimembraces fresh takes on Tolkien’s legendarium. It could decide to rehash the same narratives over and over instead, something far too many other big IPs already do in the hopes of replicating the same success.
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.
