The Lord of the Ringshas offered the world several animated adaptations, but a little-known 1991 short film teased what could have been the best one.Peter Jackson’sHobbitandLord of the Ringsmoviesmade J. R. R. Tolkien’s story a household name but took to live-action to express itself. Before that, however, Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment had madeThe Hobbitin 1977 andThe Return of the Kingin 1980, both using distinctly of-the-times animation. The 1991 pilot, based onThe Hobbit, may have beaten these in a few ways.
Meanwhile, Ralph Bakshi directedThe Lord of the Ringsin 1978. This animated picture was also by an American director and production team, offering a different style and perspective from Rankin and Bass. Most recently,Warner Bros. released an anime picture as a part of theirLord of the Ringsmovie franchise.TheThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrimmoviewas the firstLord of the Ringsanimation done in the Japanese style and had its own merits. Yet Russia’sTreasures Under the Mountaincould have been even better.
Russia’s 1991 The Hobbit Cartoon Showed A Lot Of Promise
Treasures Under The Mountain Should Have Been Made
A little-known Russian cartoon calledTreasures Under the Mountainwas made in 1991,showing promise that was sadly unexplored. The six-minute pilot was thought lost after being created before the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, its reemergence confirmed its joyful and unique animation style, more traditional than Rankin and Bass' and yet a refreshing break from U.S. children’s cartoons. The pilot was set to form the basis of more material, but this was sadly quashed, along withthe Soviet live-actionLord of the Rings, in the political turmoil that followed.
Why The 1991 The Hobbit Adaptation Never Got Developed
Treasures Under The Mountain Didn’t Live Past Its Pilot
The 1991 Russian cartoon was left by the wayside when national unrest rocked the film and TV industry, along with most other professional fields.The Hobbitshort, directed by Roman Mitrofanov, was abandoned in Decemberwhen the USSR was dissolved. The six-minute clip exists as a prologue or pilot to a more complete retelling of Tolkien’s story. It stands well enough on its own two feet but teases the tantalizing possibility of more content in this style. This would have been a valuable addition to the world ofLord of the Ringsadaptations, popularized by Peter Jackson.
Sweden Made The First Live-Action Lord Of The Rings Movie 30 Years Before Peter Jackson’s Trilogy Began
Peter Jackson put New Zealand on the map with his world-famous Lord of the Rings movies, but they weren’t the first live-action LotR on screens.
SovietLord of the Ringsis radically different from Jackson’s, with the live-actionKhraniteliteleplay adapting both Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-wights, famously cut fromThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The RussianHobbitanimation probably would have offered similar treats. It looks, from the prologue alone, like a more faithful rendering of the book than the Jackson trilogy.The Lord of the Ringsfans could have been delighted by Russia’s animatedHobbitabove and beyond the current offering if it had received the time and budget needed.
