J.R.R. Tolkien is known as the father of the The Lord of the Rings series. His books are beloved and have notably been adapted into one of the most renowned fantasy movie trilogies of all time. Consisting of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, The Lord of the Rings trilogy captured both viewers and critics, as the series was nominated for copious Oscars. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King won an astounding 11 Oscars, including Best Picture. Tolkien’s The Hobbit was also adapted into its own trilogy.

The popularity of the Tolkien adaptation has been maintained through the release of the TV series The Rings of Power, which has had two seasons on Prime Video so far. This year will also see the release of a different kind of Lord of the Rings movie with the animated film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The War of the Rohirrim features a leading voice cast including Brian Cox, Christopher Lee, Miranda Otto, Luke Pasqualino, and Shaun Dooley. In advance of this release, viewers can soon catch another Tolkien adaptation at home.

The 1978 Adaptation of Lord of the Rings Is Hitting Streaming Soon

The Adaptation Was Controversial

The 1970s version of The Lord of the Rings is soon coming to streaming. Released in 1978, this is an animated version that showed the Fellowship of the Ring going on a journey to fight Sauron and end his control of Middle-earth. The film adapted sections of the Tolkien books The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. At the time of its release, Tolkien’s books were already beloved, and the film received a mixed response from critics and viewers for its inability to capture the scope of the novels and some sillier scenes using rotoscoping technology.

Per Collider, the Ralph Bakshi version of The Lord of the Rings will soon be available on streaming. In less than one week, The Lord of the Rings will become available on Max, as it will begin streaming on December 1. Prior to this upcoming streaming release, this version of The Lord of the Rings was only available to rent on streaming platforms like Apple TV+ and Prime Video.

Why You Should Watch This Version Of The Lord of The Rings On Max

It Will Be Interesting To Contrast With The War of The Rohirrim

The 1978 version is undeniably less grandiose than the Peter Jackson trilogy. Nonetheless, Lord of the Rings is a must-watch for those looking to delve into the franchise’s history with animated adaptations. The movie has a nostalgic charm to it with its use of rotoscoping. While The War of the Rohirrim will be conveyed in a far different style than the 1978 film, it is interesting to trace this artistic history. Lord of the Rings comes less than two weeks before The War of the Rohirrim hits theaters, making it the perfect time for audiences to catch the film.