The 1978 Animated Adaptations of THE LORD OF THE RINGS and THE HOBBIT Are Coming to Max
It’s been announced the 1978 animated film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and the 1977 adaptation of The Hobbit are coming to Max. The streaming service has secured the streaming rights for the two Lord of the Rings movies, both of which have never been available on any streaming platform.
The Lord of the Rings film was directed by Ralph Bakshi and is a visually ambitious retelling of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy, covering much of the narrative from The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.
Combining traditional cel animation with rotoscoping techniques for a unique, often surreal visual style, the film follows Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship as they embark on a perilous journey to destroy the One Ring and thwart the dark lord Sauron’s rise to power.
The film captures the essence of Tolkien’s world, though its condensed plot and abrupt ending—due to it being originally planned as part one of a two-film series, and it left some audiences and critics divided.
The Hobbit, was produced by Rankin/Bass and animated by Topcraft, at it brings the classic tale to life with a vibrant, storybook-like style.
The film follows Bilbo Baggins, a reluctant hobbit who is swept into an adventurous quest by Gandalf the wizard and a company of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey takes them through perilous landscapes filled with trolls, goblins, and giant spiders as they seek to reclaim the dwarves' homeland and treasure from the fearsome dragon Smaug.
Along the way, Bilbo discovers his courage and ingenuity, aided by a magical ring he acquires from the mysterious creature Gollum.
Despite the films not getting the best reviews and the fact they omit lots of details from the books, these film remain a classic.
If you’ve never seen either of these movies, they’re quite charming. It’ll be fun to revisit these!