The Return of the King
Synopsis
Two Hobbits struggle to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom while their friends desperately fight evil Lord Sauron's forces in a final battle.
Part of the The Lord of the Rings (Animated) Collection
Stream the entire interconnected saga and experience every installment in chronological storyline order.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Return of the King Trailer (Animated)
Type: Trailer • Published 2008-06-25
Top Cast
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Orson Bean
Frodo Baggins / Bilbo Baggins (voice)
Roddy McDowall
Samwise Gamgee (voice)
John Huston
Gandalf (voice)
Theodore Gottlieb
Gollum (voice)
Casey Kasem
Meriadoc 'Merry' Brandybuck (voice)
Sonny Melendrez
Peregrin 'Pippin' Took (voice)
Theodore Bikel
Aragorn (voice)
William Conrad
Lord Denethor (voice)
Don Messick
King Theoden / Easterling / The Mouth of Sauron (voice)
Paul Frees
Orc / Uruk-Hai / Capt. Shagrat / Lt. Snaga / Lord Elrond (voice)
John Stephenson
Gondorian Guard / Dwimmerlaik - The Witch-King of Angmar (voice)
Nellie Bellflower
Eowyn / Dernhelm (voice)
Glenn Yarbrough
The Minstrel (voice)
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
- Screenplay & Story
- J. R. R. Tolkien, Romeo Muller
- Original Score
- Maury Laws
- Original Title
- The Return of the King
- Country of Origin
- United States of America, Japan
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 38m
- Production Studios
- Rankin/Bass Productions, Topcraft
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.
J. R. R. Tolkien, Romeo Muller
Maury Laws
Jules Bass, Masaki Îzuka
Department Leadership Roster
Jules Bass
Producer
Jules Bass
Director
Arthur Rankin Jr.
Production Design
Arthur Rankin Jr.
Director
Masaki Îzuka
Producer
Maury Laws
Original Music Composer
Romeo Muller
Writer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Return of the King.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Return of the King.
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My Movies
Master List In Progress
500 best 80's movies
Magic
Supernatural magic that materially matters: spells, curses, potions, enchanted objects, wishes and transformations, in fantasy or contemporary settings. Includes sword-and-sorcery adventures and individually reviewed magical sequels. Excludes superhero films, stage illusions alone, psychic-power thrillers and witch accusations without actual magic. Red Sonja (1985) is an explicitly requested sword-and-sorcery exception to the comic-origin exclusion. Relevant editorial selections plus separately labelled curator additions; some films deliberately leave magic ambiguous. Family, comedy, adventure and adult horror: NOT family-safe. Sources: https://www.timeout.com/film/the-50-best-fantasy-movies ; https://www.gamesradar.com/best-witch-movies/ ; https://time.com/6221746/underrated-witch-movies-halloween/ ; https://www.moviefone.com/news/best-sword-and-sorcery-movies/ ; https://www.slashfilm.com/1715688/best-sword-and-sorcery-movies-ranked/
Movies I have watched
As the title says.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Return of the King
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Return of the King about?
Two Hobbits struggle to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom while their friends desperately fight evil Lord Sauron's forces in a final battle.
Who directed The Return of the King?
The Return of the King was directed by Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr..
Who stars in The Return of the King?
The principal cast of The Return of the King includes Orson Bean, Roddy McDowall, John Huston, Theodore Gottlieb, Casey Kasem.
When was The Return of the King released and how long is it?
The Return of the King was released in 1980 with a total runtime of 1h 38m.
Who composed the musical score for The Return of the King?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Return of the King was composed by Maury Laws.
Is The Return of the King based on a book or true story?
The Return of the King is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "J. R. R. Tolkien".
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Return of the King?
The Return of the King holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).