STACK #245 March 2025

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MOVIE & TV FEATURE

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GENRE: Fantasy action RUN TIME: 2h 14m

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM The new animated movie The Lord of the Rings:The War of the Rohirrim transports us back to Middle-earth and the epic world created by Peter Jackson’s belovedThe Lord of the Rings trilogy based on J.R.R.Tolkien’s books. F ocusing on a tale set 183 years before the events of The Hobbit , this with Freca, a Dunlending lord, arriving at King is uninterested in such an alliance. A confrontation ensues, leading to Helm

• The War of the Rohirrim is out Mar 12

“We were able to visually create a consistency between the trilogy of films and this anime because of the generosity of Philippa and, actually, everybody in New Zealand who shared all the details of the world that was created for the trilogy. “In that way, we shared a common thread in terms of visual design and the look, such as what Rohan would have looked like or the landscape or how would the armour look like and many other things,” says the director. “And I think it’s been a

true collaboration in helping us stay in that world and be consistent, because that needed to be carried over to the anime film. “So, working with Philippa and the team made sure that we weren’t getting out of lane but, at the same time, staying true to what

Helm’s hall with his son, Wulf. Intending to force a marriage between Wulf and Héra, Freca’s real goal is to seize control of Rohan’s throne. However, Héra, who embodies the spirit of a shield-maiden,

new iteration delves into the saga of Helm Hammerhand, the formidable King of Rohan, and his courageous daughter, Héra. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the story begins

unintentionally killing Freca with a single powerful blow, earning him the moniker “Hammerhand”. This act sets off a chain of events marked by vengeance, betrayal and war. When STACK spoke with Kamiyama, he was quick to give thanks for the support he received from the original producing team behind The Lord of the Rings , in particular producer Philippa Boyens.

we do best, which is to make anime,” he adds. Gill Pringle

Kenji Kamiyama directed the popular anime series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex . DYK?

RETURN TO MIDDLE EARTH ON 4K

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy collections.

GENRE: TV drama

THE PENGUIN When Colin Farrell first debuted his Penguin character in 2022 comic book film The Batman , his performance was so well received it earned him his own eight-part TV series.

• The Penguin is out Mar 26

F ollowing a three-hour makeup transformation to give his Penguin - aka Oswald Cobb - his signature beaky nose and pock-marked skin, Farrell’s usually slim physique would disappear inside an enormous body suit to create the character’s bulky body. But, in-between takes, he would overheat, therefore a special tent - known as the igloo - was created on set so that he didn’t perspire and ruin his makeup. “Three industrial air conditioners would pump into the tent and there was one chair and I would sit there and be bored and just stare into space. And so, I’d leave messages for my kids on the phone, ‘How you doin’? What’s up, kid’,” laughs the Irish actor, using The Penguin’s brash New York accent while chatting with STACK . “I’m sure maybe they liked the first one.

But then they’re like: Here he is again, yeah, the f-cking Penguin, very good. Impressive,” quips the Oscar nominated actor with typical self-deprecation. “But I did that just to keep myself going and stave off the boredom.” If we often hear about actors packing on the pounds for a role - think Renée Zellweger in Bridget Jones’ Diary , Robert de Niro in Raging Bull - then Farrell was not prepared to put on the weight for The Penguin . “When I read the script first for The Batman , I was a bit baffled as to what I could do with it or how I would look. I met director Matt Reeves to talk about it and I had just come off a series called The North Water that I’d put on 50 or 60 pounds for. And Matt was like, oh my god, you look great, the body’s great,” he recalls.

“And I was like, well tough sh-t, say goodbye to it because I’m dropping pounds now. I’ve got to get healthy again. I just finished being bigger for six months,” says Farrell, 48, who instead relied on bodysuit technology. Celebrated for his roles in The Lobster , The Banshees of Inisherin, and In Bruges , amongst countless others, he admits to actually enjoying his makeup process, rendering him unrecognisable from his usual handsome self. “I felt like the circus was in town every morning that I stepped into the makeup trailer - and we had our own trailer just for Penguin. No one could come in, because the last thing you want to do is have somebody come in when the nose is half on.” Gill Pringle