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

Gaia Wise and Brian Cox discuss their new animated film “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.”

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, Wisevoices 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.