The Lord of the Rings films have been re-released on home video more times than we can count. But later this year, fans will finally get to experience Middle-Earth in ultra high-definition. Warner Bros. has shared plans to release Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy on 4K UHD on December 1. Additionally, The Hobbit trilogy, which Jackson also directed, is hitting 4K that same day.
To make the announcement, Warner Bros. enlisted Sean Astin, who starred as Samwise Gamgee in the original trilogy. Astin revealed that Jackson himself oversaw the remastering process for each of the six films, resulting in the “most incredible home viewing experience possible.”
The new collections contain remastered versions of both the theatrical and extended versions of the movies. For now, fans can only purchase the 4K trilogies separately. But that will change in 2021 when Warner Bros. releases a special Ultimate Collector’s Edition that combines all six films in the franchise with new bonus content. Later next year, in honor of The Fellowship of the Ring’s 20th anniversary, the studio will also drop a remastered Lord of the Rings trilogy on Blu-ray. That collection will hit stores sometime in the fall of 2021.
RELATED: The Lord Of The Rings, Cowboy Bebop Series Resume Production
Jackson finished telling the Lord of the Rings story with his last Hobbit film in 2014. Regardless, the love surrounding the franchise hasn’t waned in the slightest. Earlier this year, Josh Gad assembled the original trilogy’s cast over Zoom for an installment of his Reunited Apart series. Guests included Astin, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, and more. Jackson and co-writer Philippa Boyens also made appearances. And of course, Amazon is currently hard at work on its own Lord of the Rings TV series.
You can watch Asitin’s announcement video below. Are you excited to re-watch The Lord of the Rings saga in 4K this winter? Tell us what you think in the comment section!
Recommended Reading: J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
