LOTR’s Anime Sets Disappointing Box Office Record for the Franchise

LOTR’s Anime Sets Disappointing Box Office Record for the Franchise

As a seasoned observer with decades of cinema-watching under my belt, I must admit that the recent foray into Middle Earth with “War of the Rohirrim” has left me rather perplexed. Given the unparalleled magic and enchantment that Peter Jackson’s original trilogy weaved into our hearts, it seems a pity to see this new anime film struggle at the box office.

The epic tale “The Lord of the Rings” has returned to cinemas with a fresh anime production titled “War of the Rohirrim“. This film is helmed by Keni Kamiyama, renowned for his work on “Eden of the East” and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex“. The story unfolds 180 years prior to the events of “The Fellowship of the Ring“, focusing on Helm Hammerhand, the ninth king of Rohan.

Despite being linked to the Middle Earth series (from J.R.R. Tolkien’s cherished fantasy books) and featuring a stellar cast including Brian Cox from ‘Succession’, the film ‘War of the Rohirrim’ has not universally resonated with critics, holding a 51% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, its biggest challenge lies ahead at the ticket booth.

There’s nothing quite like The Lord of the Rings franchise. Peter Jackson’s original trilogy earns multiple annual re-watches from its die-hard fan base. Even The Hobbit prequel trilogy has amassed its own cult following despite less fanfare. But even that isn’t enough to make War of the Rohirrim a box office success. In fact, it’s the lowest domestic-grossing Lord of the Rings movie to date.

War of the Rohirrim Is the Lowest Grossing LOTR Movie

I was absolutely thrilled to catch the big-screen debut of “War of the Rohirrim” on December 13th! However, upon its domestic opening weekend, it raked in a total of $4.6 million – a figure that’s been causing quite the buzz in the industry. Given an estimated production budget of $30 million, this box office performance is definitely something people are going to talk about for weeks.

To date, the highest-earning “Lord of the Rings” movie has been “The Return of the King,” raking in a whopping $377 million during its domestic theater release. All films from the original trilogy exceeded the $300 million threshold, with “The Two Towers” bringing in $339 million and “The Fellowship of the Ring” earning $313 million. Interestingly, each film in the “Hobbit” trilogy surpassed $200 million domestically as well. Surprisingly, even the critically panned 1978 animated “Lord of the Rings” managed to gross a respectable $30 million domestically.

LOTR’s Anime Sets Disappointing Box Office Record for the Franchise

Is That It for The Lord of the Rings Anime?

The initial box office performance of ‘War of the Rohirrim’ seems uncertain for the series’ animated continuation. Despite boasting the well-known intellectual property of ‘Lord of the Rings’, Kenji Kamiyama as director, and a star-studded cast featuring Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and the late Christopher Lee, it appears that viewers are not showing much interest in this first animated production in many years.

While it’s not accurate to say that the anime adaptation of LOTR has no hope in the future, the year 2024 has been somewhat turbulent for the box office. There remains a possibility that War of the Rohirrim could regain its footing with a digital release at some point.

From my perspective, it seems that the cinematic journey of “The Lord of the Rings” is leaning towards live-action once more. At present, Andy Serkis is engrossed in crafting the upcoming installment within the series. Titled “The Hunt for Gollum“, this film takes us back to a time preceding “The Fellowship of the Ring“. In this instance, we find Gandalf the Grey and Aragorn embarking on a quest to locate the notorious corrupted hobbit who bears the same name.

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2024-12-16 17:41