Peter Jackson’s magnum-opus and the third installment in The Lord of the Rings franchise, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is set to return to theaters 20 years after its original release.
The hugely popular film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy novels remain widely celebrated for its epic storytelling. The Return of the King has been considered as a fitting and perfect conclusion to the fantasy trilogy.
The film received as many as 11 Academy Award nominations and went on to win every single category, including the Best Picture award, which clearly is a rare achievement for a fantasy blockbuster considering that era.
Ahead of the film’s 20th anniversary, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark have some exciting news for all our Middle-earth citizens. The cinemas have announced that they will screen the extended version of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in theaters on April 13.
In addition, Elijah Wood, who played Frodo in the trilogy, will introduce the film and discuss its impact. It is unclear if other theaters will also follow suit and feature the extended version or if Regal Cinemas and Cinemark will extend the showings beyond April 13.
Let’s hope the concerned authorities decide to extend the film’s re-release run for a few more days, as it’s hard to pull off a ‘one date to rule them all’ policy due to the franchise’s massive fan-following!
The extended version has a runtime of 4 hours and 20 minutes, which is considerably longer than the 3 hour and 20-minute runtime of the original theatrical version.
The extended version of The Return of the King justifies its longer runtime with the inclusion of crucial scenes that were not a part of the original theatrical release.
The extended edition includes a major deleted scene that features Saruman’s death, which was excluded from the trilogy’s final installment in theaters.
Despite being a central antagonist in the preceding two movies, Saruman was not shown in the theatrical version of The Return of the King, even though the story depicts Isengard after the Ents’ attack.
In the extended edition, Saruman’s story reaches a definitive conclusion as he meets his demise, falling to his death after being stabbed by Grima Wormtongue.
Another antagonist whose story is improved in The Return of the King’s extended edition is the Witch-King of Angmar. In the theatrical version, the depth of his fearsome power during the Battle of Minas Tirith is not fully captured.
However, in the extended edition, he has a confrontation with Gandalf, where the formidable villain breaks the wizard’s staff and nearly kills him, with Gandalf only saved by the unexpected arrival of the Rohirrim. This makes Eowyn’s killing of the Witch-King even more significant after seeing how he almost defeated Gandalf.
The extended edition of The Return of the King boasts a famous scene featuring the Mouth of Sauron, who delivers the grim news to Aragorn that Frodo has perished. This addition heightens the tension and drama as the heroes prepare for their final battle.
Additionally, the extended edition delves further into the aftermath of the Battle of Helm’s Deep and Isengard and gives more focus to Eowyn’s character after she defeats the Witch-King. With all these improvements, Middle-earth folk can anticipate an engaging cinematic experience when it returns to theaters on April 13.
About The Lord Of The Rings (Film Series)
The Lord of the Rings is a series of three epic fantasy adventure films directed by Peter Jackson, based on the novel written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are subtitled The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King (2003). Produced and distributed by New Line Cinema with the co-production of WingNut Films, it is an international venture between New Zealand and the United States.
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