MTG To Get A Secret Lair Based On The Animated Lord Of The Rings Movie

thegamer.com:

Previews have begun for Magic: The Gathering's upcoming Tolkien-inspired expansion, Lord Of The Rings: Tales Of Middle-earth. We've already got a collection of cards to show, including multiple Frodos, Gandalfs, Samwises, and Saurons, but only One Ring. We can expect more previews as the week wears on and the expansion itself to arrive on June 23.

And just a few days later, fans can expect even more Lord of the Rings content in the form of a new Secret Lair drop. Wizards of the Coast has partnered with Middle-earth Entertainment to create a drop based on the 1978 animated film "The Lord of the Rings," the first adaptation of Tolkien's work to hit the big screen.

Related: Ralph Bakshi’s Deleted Lord Of The Rings Sequences Remind Us Fantasy Shouldn't Be So Serious

Direct by Raph Bakshi, the 1978 Lord of the Rings is animated using rotoscoping, where scenes were first shot using live-action actors and then the film is traced onto animation cels. This gives the animation a very realistic look to it while still allowing for the fantastic sets and designs possible through animation. The film was originally set to be a trilogy much like Peter Jackson's films from the 2000s, but it was shortened to just cover The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. A sequel covering Return of the King was planned but was canceled after talks between the studios and Bakshi broke down.

Although the film was financially successful for the era, making just over $35,000,000, it received a mixed reaction from critics. Rotten Tomatoes has the movie at a 50 percent critical consensus, although contemporary reviews were just as ambivalent with criticism largely leveled at the compressed story.

The film has a cult following today, which perhaps