When you hear the phrase “Lord of the Rings Blu-ray”, most people are undoubtedly referring to the upcoming release of the Peter Jackson live-action trilogy, but I’m almost more excited about the other LOTR Blu-ray release coming up: the 1978 animated version by Ralph Bakshi.
I can’t say I’m a fan of everything by Ralph Bakshi, but his adaptation of Tolkien’s masterpiece holds a special place in my heart. I’m very excited that Warner Bros. is putting such effort into the release of this film that I always thought would never be released on Blu-ray.
Here is the press release:
One of the great visionary animation directors of the modern era, Bakshi went to artistic extremes to meticulously bring the legendary world of J.R.R. Tolkien to animated life – adding yet another stunning title to the director’s canon of ground-breaking films. Bakshi’s animation accomplishments include Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, American Pop, Wizards and Cool World.
All the magical adventure of the fantasy classic comes to life in Bakshi’s brilliantly animated tale of the enchanted land of Middle-earth – and the brave band of Hobbits, heroes and Wizards who set out to protect it. When a dangerous and powerful gold ring falls into his hands, a courageous Hobbit named Frodo embarks on an epic adventure. Along with the mighty Wizard Gandalf and some daring Elves, he defends his homeland from the Dark Power who would destroy it. Set in a mystical age of magic, monsters and unlikely heroes on incredible journeys, The Lord of the Rings will cast its spell over the entire family!
The deluxe edition also features a never-before-seen, 30-minute in-depth interview with legendary director Ralph Bakshi entitled Forging Through The Darkness: The Ralph Bakshi Vision for The Lord Of The Rings. This special feature explores his concept for creating an illustrated film, his pioneering rotoscoping process, and inspirations for his visual storytelling.
“The Lord of the Rings is a timeless classic that continues to be a favorite for generation after generation,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. “The theatrical release in 1978 had a domestic total gross of nearly $90 million at the box office and shipped 1.1 million net videos. We are looking forward to offering this remastered deluxe edition to the fans for their library collections and providing endless enjoyment for years to come.”
With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.
For more information on this and other titles distributed by Warner Home Video, visit www.whvdirect.com.
The release will feature a 30-minute interview with Bakshi, which should be interesting given his bitterness towards the Peter Jackson films.
I will review this as soon as I can get my hands on it, and as far as I’m concerned April 6th can’t come soon enough.
Are you a fan of the 1978 animated version of The Lord of the Rings?
There are no comments yet, add one below.