The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim producer Philippa Boyens explains how the late Christopher Lee voices Saruman in the upcoming film. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the animated film takes place hundreds of years before the events of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, chronicling a conflict between Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan and founder of Helm’s Deep, and the Dunlendings. The War of the Rohirrim voice cast will feature the return of Miranda Otto as Éowyn, with newcomers including Brian Cox (Helm), Luke Pasqualino (Wulf), and Gaia Wise (Hèra).
During a recent interview with TheOneRing, Boyens reveals that Lee, who passed away in 2015, will provide the voice of Saruman in The War of the Rohirrim. Lee voiced evil wizard Saruman in Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and he returned to the role again in The Hobbit trilogy. Boyens reveals that, after obtaining permission from Lee’s late wife, Gitte, they were able to use Lee’s voice recordings from The Hobbit to bring the anime’s version of Saruman to life. Check out Boyens’ comment below:
“When we reached out to Gitte, Lady Lee, who’s sadly no longer with us… she said the thing that I think Peter [Jackson] felt in his heart, which was that Sir Christopher would have wanted this. And so we went into his records, I got to go back and hear his voice, not just doing the lines, but talking to us as we were recording them. And we based it on a line from The Hobbit, which is ‘Are you in need of assistance, my lady?’ A version of that line.
“And we thought, okay that’s a line, we can see how many takes he did of that. Can we use it? Can we find a new read on it and change it up a little bit. And our brilliant guys did that. But it is an authentic bit of Christopher Lee performance that it’s based on.
“To be honest, we didn’t if we could find that, and so just as sort of, like, due diligence, let’s see if there is a cast-alike as someone who can do the voice out there. Now, I know the internet is going to say, of course, ‘There’s a million people who could have done Chris Lee’s voice,’ but, do you know what? I don’t think so. I’m so glad we used his own voice, and it’s fantastic.”
Boyens co-wrote both the
Lord of the Rings
trilogy and
The Hobbit
trilogy alongside Jackson and Fran Walsh.
What Saruman’s Return Means For The War Of The Rohirrim
How Does Christopher Lee’s Evil Wizard Appear?
It’s not immediately clear from Boyens’ comment just how prominently Lee’s Saruman will feature in The War of the Rohirrim‘s story, but her mention of the specific line from The Hobbit could suggest that it will be more of a cameo. Though the anime takes place hundreds of years before Frodo’s quest, having Saruman make an appearance doesn’t break canon, as the wizard arrives in Middle-earth several thousand years before that.
Related
When The Lord Of The Rings Takes Place In Middle-earth’s Timeline
Frodo’s journey with the One Ring is only a blip in Tolkien’s complete Middle-earth timeline, but how long after its start does the story begin?
As a prequel, it’s likely that the version of Saruman featured in The War of the Rohirrim won’t be an antagonistic one. Though he eventually comes to side with Sauron, Saruman is less obviously nefarious in earlier years, as his appearance in The Hobbit trilogy reveals. Trailers for The War of the Rohirrim make abundantly clear that the anime will be attempting to recapture the magic of Jackson’s trilogy, and Lee’s Saruman making an appearance is certainly a strong way to connect the two Middle-earth projects.
Our Take On Saruman’s Return In The War Of The Rohirrim
The Lord Of The Rings Character’s Return Could Be Divisive
Digitally resurrecting deceased actors for movies continues to be a point of contention, and Saruman’s return in The War of the Rohirrim is sure to be no different. Boyens’ comment suggests that Lee’s voice role in the upcoming anime, thankfully, was created using existing material rather than something new that was AI-generated, which would surely have been far more controversial.
If there is a compelling story reason for Saruman’s return, then it could end up being an exciting part of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. If, however, it’s included more as an act of fan service, it could be more divisive. Either way, the anime is shaping up to be a return to a very familiar version of Middle-earth.
Source: TheOneRing
Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated action-adventure fantasy film that follows a King of Rohan named Helm Hammerhand. When his home comes under siege by Dunlendings, Hammerhand prepares himself and his allies to fight back against them, with the war leading to the eventual establishment of Helm’s Deep.
- Director
- Kenji Kamiyama
- Release Date
- December 13, 2024
- Studio(s)
- New Line Cinema , Warner Bros. Animation , Sola Entertainment
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures