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.
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 explains why Wizards of the Coast decided to honor it in a Secret Lair drop. We don't know what cards will be in it, although we can likely expect reprints from Tales of Middle-earth.
Secret Lair’s More Adventures In Middle Earth goes on sale Monday, June 26 at 9 AM PT. As always, orders are available for a limited time and once they're gone, they're gone for good. Non-foil drops will be priced at $29.99 while foils will be $39.99. Stay tuned for more details.
In other recent Magic news, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker//Reflection Of Kiki-Jiki, Reckoner Bankbuster, and Invoke Despair have been banned in Standard. Wizards explained the immediate bans as these cards had a "dramatically negative impact on the format." All three cards warped the format, but perhaps none so much as Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, which capstone Standard's top decks.