The Lord of the Rings (1978): Cast, Box Office & Plot
The Lord of the Rings is a 1978 fantasy adventure film directed by Ralph Bakshi, starring Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum (voice), Norman Bird and William Squire. It runs 2 hours 12 minutes and earned $30.5 million worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 12m (132 min)
- Director
- Ralph Bakshi
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Fantasy Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Lord of the Rings About?
The premise of The Lord of the Rings without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Fantasy…beyond your imagination The Fellowship of the Ring embark on a journey to destroy the One Ring and end Sauron’s reign over Middle-earth.
The Lord of the Rings Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- hero
- macguffin
- super villain
- elrond character
- galadriel character
- gollum character
- frodo baggins character
- legolas character
- saruman the white character
- gandalf character
- bilbo baggins character
- lord of the rings
+38 more Show fewer
- five word title
- shot with multiple arrows
- battleaxe
- samwise gamgee character
- gimli character
- boromir character
- aragorn character
- live action and animation
- psychotronic film
- high fantasy
- sword and sorcery fantasy
- swashbuckler
- dwarf the creature
- epic adventure
- hand drawn animation
- for grown ups animation
- ring
- journey
- middle earth
- warrior
- quest
- hobbit
- right hand man
- sidekick
- multiple cameos
- friends who live together
- prehistoric times
- prehistory
- 41st century b.c.
- starving
- emaciation
- wizardry
- bridge
- axe fight
- foot chase
- combat
- cult film
- first part
The Lord of the Rings Cast & Characters
Peter Woodthorpe leads the cast as Gollum (voice), with Norman Bird as Bilbo (voice) and William Squire as Gandalf (voice). Directed by Ralph Bakshi; 24 actors are credited in all.
- Director Ralph Bakshi
- Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum (voice)
- Norman Bird as Bilbo (voice)
- William Squire as Gandalf (voice)
- Christopher Guard as Frodo (voice)
Also Starring in The Lord of the Rings
· 20 more- Dominic Guard Pippin (voice)
- Simon Chandler Merry (voice)
- John Hurt Aragorn (voice)
- Michael Scholes Sam (voice)
- Anthony Daniels Legolas (voice)
- André Morell Elrond (voice)
- Fraser Kerr Saruman (voice)
- Michael Graham Cox Boromir (voice)
- David Buck Gimli (voice)
- Annette Crosbie Galadriel (voice)
- John Westbrook Treebeard (voice)
- Billy Barty Character Actor (voice)
- Chuck Hayward Character Actor (voice)
- Mel Smith Character Actor (voice)
- Alan Tilvern Innkeeper (voice)
- Jerry Maren Character Actor (voice)
Show all 24 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Philip Stone Theoden (voice)
- Peter Risch Character Actor (voice)
- Mic Rodgers Character Actor (voice)
- Michael Deacon Wormtongue (voice)
More from Ralph Bakshi
More films directed by Ralph Bakshi, best-rated first: American Pop, Fire and Ice, Fritz the Cat and Cool World.
The Lord of the Rings Plot Summary
What happens in The Lord of the Rings from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Early in the Second Age of Middle-earth, Elven smiths forge nine Rings of Power for mortal Men, seven for the Dwarf-Lords, and three for the Elf-Kings. Soon after, the Dark Lord Sauron makes the One Ring to control them all and uses it to press a ruthless bid for conquest across the land. After Sauron’s defeat, Prince Isildur takes the Ring, but his line ends when Orcs attack, leaving the Ring to lie at the bottom of the river Anduin for more than two and a half millennia. Over the ages, Sauron reclaims the Nine Rings and their bearers fall under his shadow, becoming the Ringwraiths. The One Ring is discovered by Déagol, and his kinsman Sméagol kills him to seize it for himself.
Full summary
The whole story of The Lord of the Rings, scene by scene
The Lord of the Rings Box Office
The Lord of the Rings grossed $30.5 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$30.5M
- US & Canada
- $30.5M
The Lord of the Rings Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Lord of the Rings.
How Well Do You Know The Lord of the Rings?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is the name of the wizard who first advises Bilbo to leave the Ring to Frodo?
Seen The Lord of the Rings?
Movies Like The Lord of the Rings
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001 -
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim 2024 -
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002 -
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2012 -
The Hobbit 1977 -
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug 2013 -
J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit 1967 -
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003 -
The Flight of Dragons 1982 -
The Magic Sword 1962 -
The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns 1999 -
The Hobbits 1993
The Lord of the Rings FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of The Lord of the Rings, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Lord of the Rings?
The Lord of the Rings runs 2 hours 12 minutes (132 minutes).
When was The Lord of the Rings released?
The Lord of the Rings was released on November 15, 1978.
Who directed The Lord of the Rings?
The Lord of the Rings was directed by Ralph Bakshi.
More films by Ralph Bakshi Who is in the cast of The Lord of the Rings?
The Lord of the Rings stars Peter Woodthorpe as Gollum (voice), Norman Bird as Bilbo (voice) and William Squire as Gandalf (voice), among 24 credited actors.
How much did The Lord of the Rings make at the box office?
The Lord of the Rings grossed $30.5 million worldwide.
Does The Lord of the Rings have a post-credit scene?
No. The Lord of the Rings has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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