вЂњFive years ago when I decided that the first Tolkien property that I could handle was вЂThe Hobbit,вЂ™ it was because of the maвЂђ character himself,вЂќ said RankвЂђ. вЂњThere is no material вЂђ this picture that did not come from the original Tolkien book,вЂќ says RankвЂђ of вЂњThe Hobbit.вЂќ вЂњI am not going to alter the story,вЂќ says Bakshi of вЂњThe Lord of the RвЂђgs.вЂќ United Artists, he said, and will also feature an animated Frodo Baggins.Д«oth RankвЂђ/ Bass and Bakshi make a point of their fidelity to Tolkien.

His version of Tolkien will be distributed by вЂњI am trying to produce an adult animated fantasy which is not a cartoon but is realistically drawn,вЂќ said Bakshi. Bakshi, director and animator of вЂњWizards,вЂќ вЂњ Fritz the CatвЂќ and вЂњHeavy Traffic,вЂќ has been working for three years on a 2ВЅвЂђhour, $8вЂђmillion animated feature called вЂњThe Lord of the RвЂђgsвЂќ but based on the first book of the trilogy, вЂњThe Fellowship of the RвЂђg.вЂќ No matter what the fate of the RankвЂђ / Bass version of вЂњThe Hobbit,вЂќ Ralph Bakshi says that he will complete his Tolkien feature next summer. вЂњThen we will go on to complete our next Tolkien work, which will continue the characters we have established вЂThe Hobbit,вЂ™ and will be adapted from вЂThe HobbitвЂ™ and the last book вЂђ the Ring triology, вЂThe Return of the KвЂђg.вЂ™ At this point we are scripted, the music is composed and recorded, our backgrounds are painted, the sound track is partially completed, and new characters are designed-such as Frodo Baggins.вЂќ вЂњIf вЂThe HobbitвЂ™ is a success on television, we will release it to the theaters,вЂќ promises RankвЂђ.

Now, suddenly, no less than three theatrical features based on Tolkien's works are вЂђ the offing. The Walt Disney Studio considered animating вЂњThe Hobbit,вЂќ but decided against the project because the work lacked the kind of humor that audiences expect from Disney animation and because any attempt to alter Tolkien's story to вЂђject such humor might result вЂђ bad will and vocal resentment among Tolkien devotees. It has been ten years since the Tolkien estate put the film rights to вЂњThe HobbitвЂќ and вЂњThe Lord of the RвЂђgsвЂќ trilogy up for sale, and several attempts have been made to adapt Tolkien's words to some form of cinema. Tolkien's legions of fans have very precise ideas about how Middleinearth and Its вЂђhabitants should look and sound-a fact which raises the question of whether or not any screen adaptation of his work can be truly hobbitinforming. вЂњThe old wizard with the Force вЂђ вЂStar Wars'-that's Gandalf, the wizard of вЂThe Hobbit.вЂ™ The young fellow having adventures-good versus evil-that's The White Tower versus the Black Tower вЂђ вЂThe Lord of the RвЂђgs.вЂ™ вЂњ Whether or not Tolkien was fact responsible for the success of вЂњStar Wars,вЂќ it seems clear that both provide escape вЂђto fantasy worlds where good and evil are clearly defined. вЂњMaybe the new fantasy market-the popularity of movies like вЂStar Wars'-has come fom Tolkien,вЂќ says Arthur RankвЂђ Jr., designer of NBC TV's вЂњThe HobbitвЂќ as well as its coinproducer and coindirector with his partner, lyricist Jules Bass. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed. In the last book Bilbo's heir, Frodo Baggins, takes the ring to Mt. The ring gives its possessor mastery over every living creature, but since it was devised by an evil power, вЂђ the end it вЂђevitably corrupts anyone who attempts to use it. вЂњThe HobbitвЂќ is the вЂђtroduction to the triology, which recounts the history of the War of the RвЂђg. It tells how the hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, off on a grand adventure вЂђ which battles are fought and a dragon is slaвЂђ, finds a magic ring originally forged by Sauron, the lord of darkness. After five years of work by RankвЂђ/Bass Productions the United States and Japan, the.$3вЂђmillion cost of вЂњThe HobbitвЂќ makes it the most expensive animated television show вЂђ history. So hopes are high for вЂњThe Hobbit,вЂќ the first screen version ever made of a Tolkien work, which will be shown tonight as a 90вЂђminute Xerox special at o'clock on NBC TV. In fact, the number one ficton bestinseller this fall (over 800,000 copies sold already) is вЂњThe Silmarillion,вЂќ Tolkien's posthumously published saga of Middlleinearth вЂђ preinhobbit days. His first book was called вЂњThe Hobbit,вЂќ and that was followed by Tolkien's epic triology вЂњThe Lord of the RвЂђgsвЂќ (1954вЂђ55), consisting of вЂњThe Fellowship of the RвЂђg,вЂќ вЂњThe Two TowersвЂќ and вЂњThe Return of the RвЂђg.вЂќ The hobbit books and their world have grown from a cult popularity among college students вЂђ the 1960's to bestinsellers across the country. Tolkien created fantasy world called Middleinearth, вЂђhabited by dwarfs, elves and comfortinloving barefoot creatures called hobbits who are вЂњlittle peo ple about half our height вЂ¦ вЂђclined to be fat вЂђ the stomach they dress bright colors (chiefly green and yellow)вЂ¦вЂќ In 1937 an Oxford professor by the name of J.

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