Those two groups are Sauron's allies in the War of the Ring, helping to take Osgiliath from Faramir's ( David Wenham) forces in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and fighting at the Battle of Pelennor Fields in Return of the King.

Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote the story and produced The War of the Rohirrim, should know, as she also co-wrote Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies. But she says she and her fellow filmmakers didn’t take these types of reactions into consideration when making War of the Rohirrim.

Director Kenji Kamiyama and executive producer Peter Jackson make sure this latest installment in the Tolkien universe looks great but it feels unnecessary