OT - LOTR Return of the King Extended Version

[kingfc22]

I've been waiting for the extended version to come out for so long and it will be available for pre-order of Friday. There is still no street date, but I'm glad it's getting close.:D:D



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DISCS 1-2: The Feature
FEATURE (approx. 250 minutes) - A new version of the final installment in the epic trilogy! The Academy-Award® winning film now has 50 minutes of never-before-seen footage incorporated into the film for this highly-anticipated video release: <table> <tbody><tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>Widescreen (2.35:1) version of the Special Extended Edition</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>Dolby Digital EX 5.1 Surround Sound</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>DTS ES 6.1 Surround Sound</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>Stereo Surround Sound</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>English subtitles and closed captions</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>Spanish subtitles</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>Four audio commentaries by the director and writers, the design team, the production team and the cast featuring more than 30 participants including Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom and Academy Award® winners Richard Taylor, Howard Shore…and many more.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>Cast commentary also features dialogue between split-personality characters Gollum and Smeagol (Andy Serkis)!</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
DISCS 3-4: The Appendices
Two discs with hours of original content including multiple documentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images to give viewers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King::

THE APPENDICES PART V: "The War of the Ring"
<table> <tbody><tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>Disc intro by director Peter Jackson</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>"J.R.R. Tolkien: The Legacy of Middle-earth" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td> From Book to Script: <table> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="2">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"From Book to Script: Forging the Final Chapter" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>Abandoned Concept: Aragorn Battles Sauron</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td> Designing and Building Middle-earth <table> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="4">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Designing Middle-earth" documentary </td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Big-atures" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Weta Workshop" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Costume Design" documentary</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td> Design Galleries - 2,123 images <table> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="3">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>The Peoples of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>The Realms of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>Miniatures (galleries with docent audio)</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>"Home of the Horse Lords" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>"Middle-earth Atlas: Tracing the Journeys of the Fellowship" interactive map</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>"New Zealand as Middle-earth" interactive map w/on-location footage </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
THE APPENDICES PART VI: "The Passing of an Age"
<table> <tbody><tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>Disc intro by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td> Filming The Return of the King <table> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="2">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Cameras in Middle-earth" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>Production Photos (gallery) - 69 images</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td> Visual Effects <table> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="2">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Weta Digital" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"The Mumakil Battle" demonstration / multi-angle interactive feature</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td> Post Production: Journey's End <table> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="4">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Editorial: Completing the Trilogy" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Music for Middle-earth" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"The Soundscapes of Middle-earth" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"The End of All Things" documentary</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td>"The Passing of an Age" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td valign="top">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif
http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/bullet.gif</td> <td> Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for "Into the West" <table> <tbody><tr> <td rowspan="3">http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/color_clear.gif</td> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for 'Into the West'" documentary</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"DFK6498" short film</td> </tr> <tr> <td>http://lordoftherings.net/homevideo/images/dot.gif</td> <td>"Strike Zone" short film</td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
DVD-ROM CONTENT: Includes access to exclusive online features

[bosshogg23]

I thought Dec. 14th was the release date? I never went to see it in the theater, just buying the extended version "blind".

[cthomer5000]

250 minutes? good lord. hopefully that extra 50 minutes can make the movie good, as I thought it was by far the worst of the three.

[Peregrine]

50 extra minutes? Nice!

[tucker342]

I've also been waiting a very long time for the extended version to come out... I'll probably get it for Christmas.

[Blackadar]

250 minutes? WOW.

I thought it was the best of the 3 movies.

[DaddyTorgo]

The final tome of Peter Jackson (http://videoeta.com/person/901)'s Lord of the Rings (http://videoeta.com/movie/51862) trilogy is finally getting the 'special treatment' that the previous two movies enjoyed. Return of the King (http://videoeta.com/movie/51863) will debut a Special Extended DVD edition and a Collector's DVD Gift Set on December 14th.




The 4-disc Platinum Series DVD will include over 50 minutes of new and extended scenes, including the never-before-seen confrontation with Saruman, new bonus features and interviews with the cast and crew.

The Collector's DVD Gift Set will include the Platinum Series DVD as well as a richly detailed Minas Tirith keepsake box and an exclusive DVD called "Creating the Lord of the Rings Symphony" with composer Howard Shore.

The Platinum Series DVD will debut with a $39.99 suggested retail price, while the Collector's Edition Gift Set will come with a $79.92 price tag.


More info on the keepsake box and the goodies can be found at DVDAnswers.com as well as lotr.net

[Honolulu_Blue]

The 50 minutes of extended footage brings the total run time of the movie to 250 minutes, or a little over 4 hours. Combine that with the extended versions of the first two and that's around 700 minutes (11 hours and 45 minutes) of Middle Earth glory. Good times... Very good times.

[GrantDawg]

250 minutes? WOW.

I thought it was the best of the 3 movies.
Me, too. It went 3, 1, and then trailing far behind 2.

[rkmsuf]

Extended version? These things are so long already that you have to take vacation time to see them.

[Calis]

If any movies could use a reduced version, it would be these.

I imagine the extra 50 minutes will be an extended jumping on bed scene, and more shots of Frodo and Sam staring longingly at one another.

[Danny]

Any word on an extended box set of all 3 movies?

[DaddyTorgo]

Any word on an extended box set of all 3 movies?
That's coming on 12/14 as well Danny. I think it said retail price for it was like...119 or so (that'd make sense...40x3) but I don't remember off the top of my head.

[gstelmack]

If any movies could use a reduced version, it would be these.

You would miss too much if they cut them down farther. It's like trying to Dune as a 2 hour movie, it just can't be done and still tell the whole story. I've got the extended versions of the other 2, will get the extended version of this one, and plan a marathon movie weekend once work starts letting up.

[DaddyTorgo]

You would miss too much if they cut them down farther. It's like trying to Dune as a 2 hour movie, it just can't be done and still tell the whole story.
What's your vote gstelmack...the David Lynch movie version or the SciFi Channel miniseries??

[Blackadar]

What's your vote gstelmack...the David Lynch movie version or the SciFi Channel miniseries??

Easily the SciFi series.

[Blackadar]

If any movies could use a reduced version, it would be these.

I imagine the extra 50 minutes will be an extended jumping on bed scene, and more shots of Frodo and Sam staring longingly at one another.

there's always a hater in the crowd.

[DaddyTorgo]

Easily the SciFi series.
Ummmn...is it just me, or can no one wait for the next installment of the SciFi adaptaion???

[cthomer5000]

If any movies could use a reduced version, it would be these.

I imagine the extra 50 minutes will be an extended jumping on bed scene, and more shots of Frodo and Sam staring longingly at one another.LOL. Those were some incredibly awkward moments. I found too much of the 3rd film painfully bad.

[Honolulu_Blue]

What's your vote gstelmack...the David Lynch movie version or the SciFi Channel miniseries??

I think the SciFi miniseries was better, but they just had so much more time, it's tought to compare. I liked the casting better in the Lynch movie. There were a few things in the miniseries I didn't like, like how they pronounced Harkonen. Small, but there you have it.

I just don't think Dune translates well on screen. The beauty of Dune is the plots within plots, the cool characters, the dialogue, the ideas, the details. It's the little things that really make it great.

LOTR, on the other hand, is more about the big, sweeping epic tale and locations. The characters aren't all that complex. The dialogue in the books is, well, what it is. Those books were crying to be made into films. And done right they made great, great, great movies. In fact, I think the films are vastly superior to the books. Vastly.

[DaddyTorgo]

I wish there was a way to meld the aspects of the Lynch films I liked with the aspects of the SciFi miniseries I liked, to make my "perfect" Dune.

I'm not QUITE sure if I agree that the LOTR movies are better than the book HB. Part of the beauty of the book is the feeling that while reading it you're "tumbling down a rabbit hole" so to speak, flipping back and forth to the appendix and previous chapters to get notes. And I really enjoyed that, plus I think some things just don't translate well (Sauron as a giant eye?? Please :mad: ). There were definately things I did like about the movies though, namely Minas Tirith, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Moria, etc. I liked seeing the people and places I had imagined brought to life (mostly) as I would have done myself.

I'm probably in the minority that I didn't really mind the Elves showing up at Helms Deep. I thought that PJ did alright with this, and it went a long way towards "redeeming" the Elves. But then again I guess whether you like this or not depends on whether or not it bothers you in Tolkien that the Elves really don't...give a crap about the problems of Middle Earth. In Tolkien they basically just say "oh well, sucks for you. We're going off to live with the Valar in our eternal paradise." While I appreciate this view of them, and I think that it makes them compelling literary characters, I wasn't really "bothered" by PJ's "redemption" of them in the movies all that much.

Thoughts?

[Honolulu_Blue]

I wish there was a way to meld the aspects of the Lynch films I liked with the aspects of the SciFi miniseries I liked, to make my "perfect" Dune.

I'm not QUITE sure if I agree that the LOTR movies are better than the book HB. Part of the beauty of the book is the feeling that while reading it you're "tumbling down a rabbit hole" so to speak, flipping back and forth to the appendix and previous chapters to get notes. And I really enjoyed that, plus I think some things just don't translate well (Sauron as a giant eye?? Please :mad: ). There were definately things I did like about the movies though, namely Minas Tirith, the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, Moria, etc. I liked seeing the people and places I had imagined brought to life (mostly) as I would have done myself.

I'm probably in the minority that I didn't really mind the Elves showing up at Helms Deep. I thought that PJ did alright with this, and it went a long way towards "redeeming" the Elves. But then again I guess whether you like this or not depends on whether or not it bothers you in Tolkien that the Elves really don't...give a crap about the problems of Middle Earth. In Tolkien they basically just say "oh well, sucks for you. We're going off to live with the Valar in our eternal paradise." While I appreciate this view of them, and I think that it makes them compelling literary characters, I wasn't really "bothered" by PJ's "redemption" of them in the movies all that much.

Thoughts?

I am by no means a purist. The changes didn't upset me at all. The changes are why I liked the movies better than the books. I like the elves coming to Helms Deep. I think having Eomer ride down with Gandalf to save Helms Deep is much more dramatic and better for the character of Eomer than having him run around inside the keep. Even the one change I hated (Faramir almost falling prey to the Ring) was pretty well explained by Jackson, et al. I buy it.

Cutting Tom Bombadil also did wonders for me. I hate him. I hate Goldberry. They are lame. Good riddance.

The movies also stream-lined the dialogue and made it much more effective and dramatic. "I am no man" is a much better line then whatever soliloquy Eowyn gives in the book.

There were a number of other things they did in the movie that weren't in the book or that were changed that I liked more. I felt like all the characters came across much better in the movie. Gimli and Legolas did little for me in the books. Though Gimli sort of skewed a bit too far into comic relief land, Legolas was freaking awesome. No one benefitted from these movies like he did. He was always an "eh" character. But woah man did he whup some ass. Aragorn was also cooler in the movies. In the book (I don't want to go all Eliane Bennis on you, but) Tolkien uses way too many exclamation marks when Aragorn is speaking. It just ruins it for me.

Also, go back and read the seige on Helms Deep. It's like 10 pages long or so. There's very little there. The movie really brought it to life.

[DaddyTorgo]

Oh no I agree with you HB. Legolas and Gimli in the books were very "meh." They could have just as easily not been there. Cutting Tom Bombardil I thought hurt a little. He was always interesting and brought a lot of good speculative discussion. I agree with you that having Eomer ride down with Gandalf to save the day worked very well from a climactic standpoint and it didn't bother me. I also agree for the most part that the dialogue in the movies came off very well. The one part that I didn't like, no matter PJ's explanations, was Faramir almost falling prey to the ring. In Tolkien's world, Faramir stands almost as the brother that Aragorn never knew he had. He is supposed to be the one noble man in the world of men, the one man who resists the lure of the ring. And I was sad to see that go, that took a little something out of the world of men for me.

[gstelmack]

What's your vote gstelmack...the David Lynch movie version or the SciFi Channel miniseries??

Have not seen the SciFi Channel miniseries. Lynch movie was okay, although it's been a while: one issue I think I remember was he blended some of the later books rather than sticking to Dune itself.

I do want to see the SciFi Channel miniseries (or buy the DVD?), just no time yet.

[DaddyTorgo]

Have not seen the SciFi Channel miniseries. Lynch movie was okay, although it's been a while: one issue I think I remember was he blended some of the later books rather than sticking to Dune itself.

I do want to see the SciFi Channel miniseries (or buy the DVD?), just no time yet.
I think I have both of the SciFi ones that I'd be willing to sell to you (the for-tv versions because I have the extended ones too). I know I have the original, but I'm not sure about "Children of Dune" in the "shown-on-tv" version. I'll check at home.

[rkmsuf]

This is all you really need

http://img63.exs.cx/img63/3970/LOTR.jpg

[sterlingice]

250 minutes? good lord. hopefully that extra 50 minutes can make the movie good, as I thought it was by far the worst of the three.
I don't know about the worst of the three, but I think the first was so much more polished than the other two. I always thought it flowed the best because they just didn't have time to edit as much on the second and third. That said, I'm not a DVD person (have less than 20 along with a couple of seasons of things like the Simpsons, Futurama, and the Critic) but for Christmas, I'll be getting this to go alongside my SuperNerd editions of the first two :)

Fifty extra minutes, wow.

SI

[Draft Dodger]

I don't know about the worst of the three, but I think the first was so much more polished than the other two. I always thought it flowed the best because they just didn't have time to edit as much on the second and third. That said, I'm not a DVD person (have less than 20 along with a couple of seasons of things like the Simpsons, Futurama, and the Critic) but for Christmas, I'll be getting this to go alongside my SuperNerd editions of the first two :)

Fifty extra minutes, wow.

SI

me too

kind of like the original Star Wars, I guess - I like them pretty much in the order they came out - FOTR, TT and then ROTK. and, like the first 3 Star Wars, I love these movies tremendously - even the least favorites are still movies I'll watch many times.

The three extended versions, by the way, are now something like 11 hours combined. I'm simply amazed at how much better the extended versions are over the theatrical release - most "deleted scenes" you see on DVDs are clearly deleted for a reason (and often unfinished). Almost all of the extended stuff in LOTR dramatically enhances and improves what were already excellent movies.

[ISiddiqui]

there's always a hater in the crowd.

Ooh, ooh, can I be a hater too! ;)

I bought the regular version of FOTR, but have no intention of getting TTT or ROTK, whether regular or extended.

[Pyser]

That's coming on 12/14 as well Danny. I think it said retail price for it was like...119 or so (that'd make sense...40x3) but I don't remember off the top of my head.


is that just all 3 extended versions being sold in one bunch? or something different.

i'd love to see all 3 movies re-cut into just 1 10 hour movie....

i wonder what other "editions" will come out.

[DaddyTorgo]

yeah Py, that's just all 3 extended in one big box. I keep thinking that at some point they're going to announce some...massive box with ~15 hours or something featuring a bunch more scenes. I don't think we'll be that lucky though.

[sterlingice]

yeah Py, that's just all 3 extended in one big box. I keep thinking that at some point they're going to announce some...massive box with ~15 hours or something featuring a bunch more scenes. I don't think we'll be that lucky though.
Because 12 DVDs in three super box sets just isn't enough? :D

SI

[Calis]

there's always a hater in the crowd.

Heh, I enjoyed the movies...by no means hate them, but not something that I particularly want to sit through again, especially with 50 extra minutes added in. ;)

You have to admit also, there was an overabundance of them oogling each other in the 3rd movie...creeped me out after a while.

[Galaril]

I was just watching The Return of the King Extended DVD with my wife the other day and she asked "Isn't JRR Tolkien's son still alive and if so why the hell wasn't he involved with this project?" I myself never actually thought about it but why didn't Chris Tolkien join this project to bring his fathers work to the masses so to speak, together with Peter jackson ? I hope it wasn't a money/ slash creative differences kind of crap. I thought Jackson did a good job bring the books to film considering Tolkien, the senior never thought it was possible to do them in film. i could guess JRR Tolkien wouldof been general pleased with the handling of his literary works.

[Calis]

I'm not real into this so I could be wrong here, but I do believe Christopher has been pretty outspoken on thinking the movies were a bad idea. I don't think he wanted anything to do with it.

He's not a fan of anyone doing anything with his Dad's work from what I can tell, unless it's him. Which is odd because I think his dad was all for movies being made of them.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, going off memory here.

[DanGarion]

I'm not real into this so I could be wrong here, but I do believe Christopher has been pretty outspoken on thinking the movies were a bad idea. I don't think he wanted anything to do with it.

He's not a fan of anyone doing anything with his Dad's work from what I can tell, unless it's him. Which is odd because I think his dad was all for movies being made of them.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, going off memory here.
Hey but atleast he made a ton of cash.... right?

Since I'm sure he's one of the benefactors with the Tolkien Estate.

[Calis]

Heck, reading up more it looks like he kicked his son off the Board for speaking in favor of the movies.

Yeah, it sure didn't hurt him financially when they're released, but I honestly don't think he cares, he's old and bitter, and not strapped for cash anyway. ;)

Dunno, he's always came across bad to me, very hypocritical imo.

[Honolulu_Blue]

I just watched the ROTK extended version over the weekend. Excellent as always. The more I watch these films the more I am impressed with them. Truly a marvel.

I much prefer Jackson's interpretation of Tolkien over the real thing. I think he did wonders to improve the narrative, dramatic, and character aspects of the original works.

[HomerJSimpson]

Hey but atleast he made a ton of cash.... right?

Since I'm sure he's one of the benefactors with the Tolkien Estate.

I don't have actual proof of this, but I don't think the movies were that big a windfall for the Tolkien estate. My understanding is that the movie rights for the books were sold in the 60's to someone who still owns the rights and that if it were up to the estate the movies would never had been made.

[HomerJSimpson]

Here's the story:

J.R.R. Tolkien sold the movie rights while he was still alive. His estate does not control them and has generally shied away from any involvement in movie projects. The Tolkien Estate is said to be quietly backing the current movie project but is not directly involved with it.

In a letter Tolkien wrote to his son Christopher in September 1957, he said he had been approached by several people to make a movie based on The Lord of the Rings. " Stanley U(nwin) and I have agreed on our policy: Art or Cash," he said. Within a year a synopsis written by Morton Grady Zimmerman was sent to Tolkien for commentary. The movie was apparently going to be done as animation at this time. Tolkien's criticism of the synopsis was harsh and to the point: "I should say Zimmerman...is quite incapable of excerpting or adapting the 'spoken words' of the book. He is hasty, insensitive, and impertinent."

A couple of months later Tolkien wrote to Forrest J. Ackerman, who had initiated the project, and his words have long been remembered by fans through the years: "...I would ask them to make an effort of imagination sufficient tounderstand the irritation (and on occasion the resentment) of an author, who finds, increasingly as he proceeds, his work treated as it would seem carelessly in general, in places recklessly, and with no evident signs of any appreciation of what it is all about...."

This initial movie project fell through and in time Tolkien opted for the Cash rather than the Art. Saul Zaentz eventually acquired the rights and in the late 1970s his company worked with Ralph Bakshi to produce a movie called "The Lord of the Rings". The movie was experimental and failed at the box office. It also only got halfway through the story. A planned sequel was never developed.

Rankin/Bass produced two television specials in the late 1970s based on The Hobbit and The Return of the King.

Saul Zaentz still owns the movie rights. Zaentz also owns Tolkien Enterprises, a subsidiary of The Saul Zaentz Company which has licensed a number of Lord of the Rings-related products that really have no connection with The Tolkien Estate.

[HomerJSimpson]

BTW, I think that the rights were sold for a little over a million dollars. Good money in 1968, but chicken feed compared to what would have been made if they still owned the rights.

[tucker342]

I'm probably wrong, but I thought someone in the Tolkien family was actually in the movie...

In the extended version of Return of the King he is the soldier watching over the river who gets shot with an arrow at the very beginning of the Osgiliath (I think that's what the city is called) battle scene. I think they mention it during the directors/writers commentary...

I may be wrong though.