Christopher Lee Will Voice Saruman in 'The War of the Rohirrim'

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Saruman (Christopher Lee) reaching for the palantir in The Two Towers

A familiar voice will be appearing in The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and it will be the very same voice that shouted at the Fellowship on the moutnain of Caradhas in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring several decades ago. In a surprising twist for fans of Peter Jackson's acclaimed fantasy trilogy, not only will the character of Saruman be making an appearance in the new animated epic, but his voice in the film will be none other than that of beloved actor Sir Christopher Lee. How is this possible if Christopher Lee passed away in 2015? The answer is actually quite simple.

During New York Comic Con, whilst speaking with TheOneRing.net, long-time The Lord of the Rings writer and Peter Jackson collaborator Philippa Boyens explained how Christopher Lee returns as Saruman in The War of the Rohirrim. With the blessing of Christopher Lee's widow Gitte Lee (who also recently passed on), Boyens says they were able to unused footage from Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy that they were seamlessly able to factor into the animated prequel. Boyens even addresses the option of using a sound-alike to portray Lee's famous character, but she instead insists that they were happy that they were able to use Christopher Lee's actual voice.

Since the upcoming film will take place before the events of both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy, the Saruman that War of the Rohirrim will follow is a very different character. A wise white wizard who was seen as an ally to men before he fell to darkness and aligned himself with Sauron. Miranda Otto is also set to reprise her character as Éowyn in the new film, but one can't help but wonder if other actors and characters from Peter Jackson's films will also return for a brief cameo appearance, such as Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey.

What is 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim' About?

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim takes place several hundred years before the events of Peter Jackson's original trilogy. At the center of this dramatic tale are the noble riders of Rohan, who are in danger of having their entire way of life destroyed by a rival clan of barbarians. Perhaps the only one that can put a stop to this cataclysmic war is the Rohirrim princess Hèra (Gaia Wise), who embarks on an epic quest to save her people.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim releases in theaters on Friday, December 13th, 2024.

The Lord of the Rings The War of the Rohirrim Film Poster

The untold story behind Helm's Deep, hundreds of years before the fateful war, telling the life and bloodsoaked times of its founder, Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan.

Release Date December 13, 2024

Director Kenji Kamiyama

Runtime 130 Minutes

Writers Jeffrey Addiss , Will Matthews , Phoebe Gittins , J.R.R. Tolkien

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