What was the title of J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1978 animated film adaptation of his Middle-earth story?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1978 animated film adaptation was titled The Lord of the Rings.

The film was directed by Ralph Bakshi and released in the United States in November 1978. It adapts much of the first half of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, including the journey from Hobbiton, the encounter with the Nazgûl, the Mines of Moria, and the Battle of Helm’s Deep. It does not complete the entire story.

The production used traditional animation together with rotoscoping, a technique in which animators trace over filmed live-action movement. This gave many scenes a distinctive visual style. The film’s ending leaves the larger narrative unresolved, which contributed to confusion about whether it was intended as a complete adaptation.

The title is not The Return of the King, although the film’s planned continuation would have covered later events. It is also separate from Rankin/Bass’s 1977 animated The Hobbit and from Peter Jackson’s live-action film trilogy.