CNN
—

When Gaia Wise received the call confirming she had been cast in the lead role in the new animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, she screamed so loudly that her neighbors called the police.

“The first two people who found out were two cops from Camden,” she recalled in an interview with CNN. “I told them, ‘I have a new job!’ and they looked at me like I was crazy.”

In renowned anime director Kenji Kamiyama’s upcoming film, Wise
Voices Héra, the youngest and only daughter of King Helm Hammerhand of Rohan, portrayed by Brian Cox. Set 183 years before the events of Peter Jackson’s live-action The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the story revolves around Héra and her father’s desperate fight to protect their kingdom, offering fans a new chapter in the storied story Middle-earth.

For Wise, an avowed Tolkienist and lifelong fan of The Lord of the Rings films, the role of Héra is a “deeply meaningful moment.”

“I love the films. I watch them two to three times a year. I’m a Tolkien fan, I read the books once and now as an adult I think I should revisit them,” she shared.

The 24-year-old British actress, daughter of famous actors Emma Thompson and Greg Wise, previously appeared in the films “Last Chance Harvey” (2008) and “A Walk in the Woods” (2015) before moving into the anime dared and got the role of Rohirrim Princess.

“Hopefully these police officers will see this now and say, ‘Ah, I understand why it was her.’
screaming,’” she joked.

The film is a collaboration between New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation (both, like CNN, part of Warner Bros. Discovery) and expands on a short section of JRR Tolkien’s writings found in the appendices of The Return of the King Helm Hammerhand’s story is described in just two pages.

Héra, who was originally nameless in Tolkien’s text, is now the focus of the film –
A groundbreaking change, along with its animated format, for the critically acclaimed series that captivated audiences with its adaptations from 2001 to 2003.

While the trilogy featured memorable female characters such as Arwen (Liv Tyler), Éowyn (Miranda Otto) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), it was criticized for not placing any of them at the center of the story. It wasn’t until the launch of the Amazon Originals series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” in 2022 that the franchise brought female protagonists to television screens, with characters like Galadriel and Bronwyn taking on leading roles.

When we first meet Héra, her world is thrown into chaos when Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), the son of a former ally Freca (Shaun Dooley), arrives with his father to ask for her hand in marriage. Strong-willed and independent, she declines, and her father, King Helm Hammerhand, rejects the proposal outright. The situation turns violent when Helm kills Wulf’s father, sparking conflict. When war breaks out, Héra must rise to the challenge and lead her people against Wulf’s growing forces from the mountain fortress that later becomes known as Helm’s Deep.

For Wise, the film gives a more human dimension to the Hammerhand helmet depicted in Tolkien’s Appendices. “They have a wonderful relationship because she never listens to him. But he learns to listen to her and trust her, which adds a nice backstory to the Helm we know,” she said.

Brian Cox, who plays Helm, admitted that he could personally identify with the character and described the father-daughter bond in the film as one of the most moving aspects.

“I have four children and a daughter. Not that I don’t love my other children more or less, but a father’s relationship with his daughter is special. It’s not like any other relationship,” he said.

Philippa Boyens, producer and story consultant on the film and co-writer and co-producer of the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, says it was clear from the start that Héra belonged at the center of this story .

According to Boyens, she has “earned” her place in this chapter of the franchise.

“If you look at it, she is at the heart of the conflict that starts the story. It’s literally a bunch of men trying to decide their fate. It was always very interesting to ask, ‘What does she think about this?'”

Boyens also highlighted Héra’s role as responsible for the film’s tension: “Not all the characters survive the story, so she carried this weight – could she overcome it, could she survive?” It somehow became clear that she was the one .”

Although animated, Boyens emphasizes that the film quickly immerses audiences in a familiar world and explores themes of honor, family and loyalty, as well as betrayal, jealousy and obsession – all hallmarks of Tolkien’s storytelling.

“Tolkien layers story after story in The Lord of the Rings, so we already had an idea of ​​what Rohirrim culture is like. We also had Heras (descendants) in Eowyn, which is such a popular character, and the tradition of the Shieldmaidens to draw on,” Boyens explained.

Superfans will see the return of Eowyn in this new episode with Miranda Otto
She takes on her role as the film’s narrator.

Rooted in Scandinavian folklore, the term “shield maidens” refers to women who took up arms and fought alongside men in battle. The film delves deeper into the lore and shows Héra gradually accepting and reviving her heritage over the course of the film. As Eowyn’s ancestor, Héra naturally invites comparisons to the character. Fans will remember Eowyn’s iconic line, “I am no man,” from the third live-action film, The Return of the King. During the Battle of Pelennor Fields, a disguised Eowyn confronts the Witch-King of Angmar, who declares that no human can kill him. She identifies herself as a woman before delivering the fatal blow.

“‘I am no man’ is Eowyn’s last great line, and I think Héra really embodies that spirit,” Wise said. “Women’s voices matter, and I hope young girls use this film as an introduction to the Tolkien world I know and love.”

The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is released in the US and UK
Cinemas on December 13th.