The characters of Gimli and Legolas do not appear in this film, despite being major characters in The Lord of the Rings (1978), and both of their fathers being characters in the previous Rankin/Bass production, 'The Hobbit (1977)(TV)'. Gimli's father is the dwarf Gloin, while Legolas's father, Thranduil, is the King of the Elves in Mirkwood.
Many Tolkien fans were disappointed when Ralph Bakshi's 1978 adaptation of "Lord of the Rings" covered only the first two books of Tolkien's trilogy. When it became clear that Bakshi would not produce a sequel, Rankin and Bass finished the story for him with this TV movie. Many Tolkien fans agree that Bakshi's film was a more mature and detailed adaptation of Tolkien's stories.
Orson Bean, who had previously played Bilbo in The Hobbit (1977), plays Bilbo and Frodo Baggins in this film. Ian Holm, who played Frodo in the BBC Radio production the following year, would return decades later to play Bilbo in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
Orson Bean, John Huston, and Theodore Gottlieb all return to their roles from 'The Hobbit (1977)(TV)'. Paul Frees had to replace Cyril Richard, who had died shortly after The Hobbit was aired. André Morell, who played Elrond in The Lord of the Rings (1978), also died shortly after its release.
This special was distributed by Warner Bros., while Peter Jackson's namesake live action film was produced by New Line Cinema, WB's future label.