The ‘Lord of the Rings’ series introduces its first female protagonist to the big screen

CNN
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When Gaia Wise got the call confirming she had been cast as the lead 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 to find out were two Camden cops (police officers),” she recalled in an interview with CNN. “I told them, ‘I got a new job!’ and they looked at me like I was mad.”

In the upcoming movie directed by famous anime director Kenji Kamiyama, 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 “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the story centers on Héra and her father’s desperate struggle to protect their kingdom, offering fans a new chapter in the history of Middle-earth.

For Wise, a self-confessed Tolkienist and lifelong fan of the “Lord of the Rings” films, playing Héra is a “deeply meaningful moment.”

“I love the movies. I watch them two or three times a year. I’m a Tolkien fan, I’ve read the books once and I think now as an adult I should go back to 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 venturing into anime and got the role. of the Rohirrim princess.

“Hopefully those coppers will now see that and say, ‘Oh, I understand why she was
screaming,'” she laughed.

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

Héra, originally unnamed in Tolkien’s text, now takes center stage in the film –
a groundbreaking shift, along with its animated format, for the critically acclaimed series that captivated audiences with its 2001 to 2003 adaptations.

While the trilogy included memorable female characters such as Arwen (Liv Tyler), Éowyn (Miranda Otto) and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), it has been 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 introduced female protagonists to television screens, with characters such as Galadriel and Bronwyn stepping into the lead roles.

When we first meet Héra, her world is thrown into chaos when Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), son of a former ally Freca (Shaun Dooley), arrives with his father to ask for her hand in marriage. Strong-willed and independent, she refuses, and her father, King Helm Hammerhand, flatly rejects the proposal. The situation turns violent when Helm kills Wulf’s father, sparking a 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 will later be known as Helm’s Deep.

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

Brian Cox, who portrays Helm, admitted that he could personally relate to the character and described the father-daughter bond in the film as one of its 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 their daughter is special. It’s not like any other relationship,” he said.

Philippa Boyens, producer and story consultant for the film, as well as 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 “earned her place” in this chapter of the franchise.

“When you look at it, she is the heart of the conflict that starts the story. It’s literally a bunch of men trying to decide what her fate is. It was always really interesting to say, ‘well, how does she feel about that?’”

Boyens also highlighted Héra’s role in driving the film’s tension, “not all of the characters survive the story, so she carried that weight—could she overcome, could she survive? It kind of became clear that she’s the one.”

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

“Tolkien puts story on top of story in The Lord of the Rings, so we already had a sense of what the culture of the Rohirrim is like. We also had Heras (descendant) in Éowyn, who is such a beloved character, and the tradition of the shieldmaidens to draw on ,” Boyens explained.

Superfans will see the return of Éowyn in this new edition with Miranda Otto
reprises his role of narrating the film.

The term skjoldmoer, rooted in Scandinavian folklore, refers to women who took up arms and fought alongside men in battle. The film delves deeper into the story and shows Héra as she gradually embraces and revives their legacy over the course of the film. As the ancestor of Éowyn, Héra naturally invites comparisons with the character. Fans will remember Éowyn’s iconic line, “I am no man,” from the third live-action film, “The Return of the King.” During the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, a disguised Éowyn confronts the Witch-king of Angmar, who declares that no man can kill him. She reveals herself as a woman before delivering the fatal blow.

“‘I am no man’ is Éowyn’s last great line, and I think Héra really embodies that spirit,” Wise said. “Women’s voices are important and I hope young girls use this film as a way into the Tolkien world that I know and love.”

“The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is published in the United States and the United Kingdom
cinemas on December 13.