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

The Lord of the Rings is back in theaters with the brand new anime movie, War of the Rohirrim. Directed by Keni Kamiyama (Eden of the East & Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), the new film is set 180 years before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, following the legendary Helm Hammerhand, the ninth King of Rohan.

Despite being attached to the Middle Earth franchise (based on the beloved fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien) and boasting a strong cast that includes Succession‘s Brian Cox, War of the Rohirrim failed to unanimously land with critics. The new film sits at a 51% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. But, its toughest battle comes at the box office.

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

Releasing in theaters on December 13, War of the Rohirrim amassed $4.6 million during its domestic opening weekend. This is set against a reported budget of $30 million. Fans, critics, studios, box office pundits, and journalists will likely dissect War of the Rohirrim‘s box office shortfall for weeks to come, but fingers are already pointed at the weak reviews and the anime medium. A $4.6 million opening weekend is disappointing for any major franchise, but it is especially biting in War of the Rohirrim‘s case compared to past movies set in Middle Earth.

The highest-grossing Lord of the Rings film to date is The Return of the King, which totaled $377 million during its domestic theatrical run. Every film in the original trilogy surpassed the $300 million mark, with The Two Towers earning $339 million and The Fellowship of the Ring earning $313 million. Despite weaker reviews, The Hobbit trilogy surpassed $200 million domestically with each entry. Hilariously, even the panned 1978 animated The Lord of the Rings grossed $30 million domestically.

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Is That It for The Lord of the Rings Anime?

War of the Rohirrim‘s opening weekend figures don’t look promising for the franchise’s animated future. Even with the Lord of the Rings IP, Kenji Kamiyama directing, and Brian Cox, Gaia Wise, and the late Christopher Lee starring in the film, it appears that audiences simply aren’t interested in the first animated offering in decades.

That’s not to say LOTR‘s anime future is completely dead. 2024 has been a shaky year for the box office as a whole. There is always the chance that War of the Rohirrim could redeem itself with its digital release down the line.

As for The Lord of the Rings‘s big-screen future, live-action appears to be the way forward once again. Andy Serkis is currently hard at work on the next film in the franchise. The Hunt for Gollum is set just before The Fellowship of the Ring, as Gandalf the Grey and Aragorn search for the titular corrupted hobbit.

H/T: Deadline