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

When Gaia Wise got the call confirming she’d been cast as the lead in the new animated film “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” she screamed so loudly her neighbors called the police.

“The first two people to find out were two Camden coppers (police officers),” she recalled in an interview with CNN. “I told them, ‘I’ve got a new job!’ and they looked at me like I was mad.”

In the upcoming film directed by renowned 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 “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the story centers on Héra and her father’s desperate fight to protect their kingdom, offering fans a fresh chapter in Middle-earth’s storied history.

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

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

The 24-year-old British actress, daughter of celebrated actors Emma Thompson and Greg Wise, previously appeared in films “Last Chance Harvey” (2008) and “A Walk in the Woods” (2015) before venturing into anime and landing the part of the Rohirrim princess.

“Hopefully now those coppers will see this and go, ‘Ah, I understand why she was
screaming,’” she quipped.

A heroine at the helm
A collaboration between New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation (both part of Warner Bros. Discovery, like CNN), the film expands on a brief section of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings, found in the appendices of “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 movie –
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 like 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 TV screens, with characters like Galadriel and Bronwyn stepping into 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 refuses, and her father, King Helm Hammerhand, rejects the proposal outright. The situation turns violent when Helm kills Wulf’s father, sparking a conflict. With war breaking out, Héra must rise to the challenge, leading her people against Wulf’s growing forces from the mountain fortress that will later become known as Helm’s Deep.

For Wise, the film brings a more humane dimension to the Helm Hammerhand depicted in Tolkien’s appendices. “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, describing the father-daughter bond in the film as one of its most moving aspects.

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

Staying true to Tolkien’s world
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 outset 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 begins the story. It’s literally a bunch of men trying to decide what her fate is. It was always really interesting to go, ‘well how does she feel about that?’”

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

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

“Tolkien layers story upon story within ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ so we already had a sense of what the culture of the Rohirrim is like. We also had Hera’s (descendant) in Éowyn, who is such a beloved character, and the tradition of the shield maidens to draw upon,” Boyens explained.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Superfans will spot the return of Éowyn in this new installment, with Miranda Otto
reprising her role to narrate the film.

The term shield-maidens, rooted in Scandinavian folklore, refers to women who took up arms and fought alongside men in battle. The film delves deeper into the lore, showing Héra as she gradually embraces and revives their legacy over the course of the film. As an ancestor of Éowyn, Héra naturally invites comparisons to the character. Fans will recall 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 final big 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 released in US and UK
cinemas on December 13th.