Over 35 years since it was released, new images and videos from Ralph Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings film have been released by his son Eddie.

The 1978 adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s best-selling novel has always proved controversial but the blend of rotoscoped live-action with cel animation meant that it was a rather unique production in the film industry. It is certainly the case that many Tolkien fans had – and still have – strong views about the production quality, the faithfulness of the adaptation and the music.

However, Bakshi followers and Tolkien fans will be keen to take a look at the deleted scenes which have been released on Ralph Bakshi’s Facebook page.

About the Author: Shaun Gunner

Shaun is the Chair of The Tolkien Society. First elected in 2013, Shaun has overseen the Society's expansion from 600 to 3,500 members. Shaun regularly speaks about adaptations of Tolkien's works and the future of Tolkien scholarship whilst passionately believing the Society needs to reach out to new audiences. In his spare time he can be found playing video games and Lego, or on Twitter. He also chairs another charity, Mankind, and is a local councillor.