What to know:
- “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is the franchise’s first foray into the anime world, and is set 183 years before the original trilogy.
- As of December 3, prediction market traders on Kalshi forecast a predicted Rotten Tomatoes score of 64.8.
- The film’s director, Kenji Kamiyama, has a mixed history on Rotten Tomatoes, with previous anime projects scoring between 17% and 71%.
“Lord of the Rings” is back but, for the first time ever, in an entirely new format – anime. While “Lord of the Rings” was made into an animated film in 1978, this is the first time Tolkien’s world is getting the Japanese anime treatment.
With avid fans of the original trilogy and the broader world of Middle-earth, it’s no surprise that Kalshi bettors have been predicting the movie’s Rotten Tomatoes score since almost a month before the movie’s release date. On Kalshi’s prediction market, the current predicted forecast is a score of 56.3.
As of Dec. 4, it has a total trading volume of $60,894 and started at a high forecast of 77.2 before falling to its current low. But as with most prediction markets, bettors are predicting the Rotten Tomatoes score before the review embargo is lifted.
Here’s what you need to know about “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” before betting.
Prediction News Pro Tip: The social media embargo for this movie was lifted on Dec. 3, while the review embargo will be lifted on Dec. 9. The timing of these embargoes is important for traders, as early social media reactions can offer valuable insight.
What is ‘Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’?
“Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” takes place 183 years before the original trilogy takes place. According to Warner Brothers Discovery, the film tells the story of:
the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and ruthless Dunlending lord seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg— a mighty fortress that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep. Finding herself in an increasingly desperate situation, Héra, the daughter of Helm, must summon the will to lead the resistance against a deadly enemy intent on.
The film was announced when “Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Rings” was celebrating its 20th anniversary. The film is directed by Kenji Kamiyama and is executive produced by Peter Jackson.
Past critical reception of “Lord of the Rings” movies
While the “Lord of the Rings” franchise – the original Trilogy and the Hobbit trilogy – have been huge blockbuster successes, the Hobbit trilogy received mixed critical reception. Similarly, the Amazon Prime series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” was not as well received by critics compared to the original trilogy.
The original trilogy are the only projects from the franchise to have Rotten Tomatoes scores above 90, with the other projects fluctuating drastically.
Past scores may indicate that this project will not be able to rely on the franchise’s fan base for a high Rotten Tomatoes score. In fact, it may work against it. The ‘Lord of the Rings’ has a passionate fan base and critics may be harsher given it is entering the new waters of anime.
We already have some early signs thanks to the social media embargo being lifted on Dec. 3. Reviews have been mixed so far – many praise the gorgeous animation but point out the film struggles with its pacing. These lukewarm reviews are early indications the film may not have a high Rotten Tomatoes score.
LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM is a gorgeously animated return to Middle-Earth.
— Jonathan Sim (@TheJonathanSim) December 3, 2024
It features well-defined characters and masterful battle sequences, but occasional predictability and unearned moments can hold it back. #LordOfTheRings pic.twitter.com/g3lRtC5DGD
How have anime films performed in the past on Rotten Tomatoes?
Anime movies are a mixed bag when it comes to their performance on Rotten Tomatoes. Most of the time it is because the audience is much smaller in America compared to the audience in Japan. As a result, the reviews are fairly limited and are not reviewed as much as mainstream films like “Wicked” to “Joker: Folie à Deux.”
Here’s a look at the most recent anime releases and their Rotten Tomatoes scores, most of which may be unfamiliar if you aren’t already an anime fan.
While many of these projects are less popular and, as a result, received a limited number of reviews, “Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is more mainstream and shouldn’t have trouble attracting critics.
If we look at the examples above, most of these movies have performed well critically. Two of them, “Spy x Family” and “Dragon Ball,” are part of larger franchises in the same way “Lord of the Rings” is. Although, the significant difference is that they are anime franchises, and “Lord of the Rings” is obviously not.
But this isn’t the first franchise to be adapted to a new format. In a similar fashion, Netflix created an animated series based on the popular video game series, “League of Legends” called “Arcane.” The series was done well, as fans embraced the new format.
It was extremely well-received by critics, with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes for both seasons of the show. The same is possible for this movie. If “Lord of the Rings” is done well, the movie will be praised, but it will be heavily criticized if it fails to fully use the creative potential of the anime format
But this isn’t director Kenji Kamiyama’s first rodeo in anime. He has worked on many anime projects but only three of the movies received a Tomatometer score.
If you rely on the scores above, these are not good indications. He has never scored a very high score on Rotten Tomatoes and two out of three movies received Rotten scores. However, he’s worked on countless more projects since, including directing the television series “Blade Runner: Black Lotus,” which received a Fresh score of 71%.
But he also directed 24 episodes of “Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045” which received a Rotten score of 21%. Unfortunately, his track record is uncertain at best.
“Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is entering uncharted territory. The film’s success will heavily depend on how well it uses anime’s creative potential to tell its story.
Past critical reception of new “Lord of the Rings” projects and anime films suggests that critical success is far from guaranteed. Ultimately, if “The War of the Rohirrim” can effectively bridge the gap between anime and Tolkien’s epic world, it could be a standout success. However, early social media reviews and the weight of its legacy may result in a less-than-stellar Rotten Tomatoes score.
