HBO Max has a new, special surprise for Lord of the Rings fans. Unlike some massive entertainment IP — such as Marvel or Star Wars — The Lord of the Rings has been comparatively dormant over the years. Not completely dormant — not at all — but it has not been juiced as much it could be. Perhaps this will change in the future, but right now there is a little surprise for fans of the fantasy series from J.R.R. Tolkien.
The surprise comes the way of streaming service HBO Max who has secured streaming rights for two Lord of the Rings movies, both of which have never been available on any streaming platform ever.
One of these films is 1978’s The Lord of the Rings, an animated film from Ralph Bakshi. Based on the novel of the same name, the animated film combines the volumes The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.
At the time of its release in 1978, the movie divided critics and was met with some backlash from fans who were unhappy that it wasn’t complete. Despite this, it was a financial success. Unfortunately, for those enjoyed it, it never got a sequel to complete the material.
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Fast-forward to 2024, and it is a bonafide cult classic, but one that many — including fans of the series — have never even seen. And this is partially because the movie has never been available on any streaming platform, until today that is.
The other Lord of the Rings movie joining it on HBO Max, coming to streaming for the first time as well, is 1977’s The Hobbit from Rankin/Bass and Topcraft. The animated musical television special first aired via NBC, before going on to win both a Peabody Award and a Christopher Award. It is, as the name suggests, a film adaptation of the 1937 book of the same name.
Both of these Lord of the Rings classics are now streaming on HBO Max. How long they will be available as part of the streaming service though, is unclear.
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