On May 11, 1980, the animated made for TV movie The Return of the King aired on ABC, bringing the final chapter of J R R Tolkien’s epic saga to television audiences. Produced by Rankin Bass, the film continued where The Hobbit left off and featured familiar characters like Frodo, Sam, Gollum, and Gandalf as they faced the final battle against Sauron.
Though limited by its animation budget and runtime, the film stayed surprisingly close to the book’s storyline and introduced many young viewers to the world of Middle earth long before the big screen adaptations of the 2000s.
Fun fact: The Return of the King served as an unofficial sequel to the 1977 animated version of The Hobbit and featured many of the same voice actors and musical style.
Though limited by its animation budget and runtime, the film stayed surprisingly close to the book’s storyline and introduced many young viewers to the world of Middle earth long before the big screen adaptations of the 2000s.
Fun fact: The Return of the King served as an unofficial sequel to the 1977 animated version of The Hobbit and featured many of the same voice actors and musical style.
