HBO Max has a new surprise for Lord of the Rings fans

HBO Max has a new, special surprise for Lord of the Rings fans. Unlike some major entertainment titles like Marvel or Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings has been relatively inactive over the years. Not completely dormant – not at all – but it wasn’t juicing as much as it could be. Maybe that will change in the future, but right now there is a little surprise for fans of JRR Tolkien’s fantasy series.

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The surprise comes from streaming service HBO Max, which has secured the streaming rights for two Lord of the Rings films, both of which have never been available on a streaming platform.

One of these films is The Lord of the Rings from 1978, an animated film by 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 film divided critics and was met with some backlash from fans who were dissatisfied that it was incomplete. Nevertheless, it was a financial success. Unfortunately for those who enjoyed it, there was never a sequel to complete the material.

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Fast forward to 2024 and it’s a true cult classic, but one that many – including fans of the series – have never seen. And that’s partly because the film has never been available on a streaming platform until today.

The other Lord of the Rings film on HBO Max, also streaming for the first time, is Rankin/Bass and Topcraft’s 1977 The Hobbit. The animated musical TV special first aired on NBC and went on to win both a Peabody Award and a Christopher Award. As the name suggests, it is a film adaptation of the 1937 book of the same name.

Both Lord of the Rings classics are now streaming on HBO Max. However, it is unclear how long they will be available as part of the streaming service.

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