Prepare Your Bladder, Because The Lord of the Rings’ Extended Cut is Returning to Theaters
You shall not pass up this opportunity.
Some movies should feel as big as possible. That’s why Oppenheimer filled out Imax theaters months after release, why some fans are seeing Dune: Part Two dozens of times, and why old classics can find success with theatrical re-releases. But the latest re-release announcement is bigger than any we’ve seen before, and it provides the ultimate way to watch a beloved series.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Lord of the Rings trilogy will return to theaters this June. The showings will be of the epic Extended Edition director’s cuts that were first released on home video, and they’ll also be the 4K remastered versions released in 2020. This 4K cut has never been shown on the silver screen.
Thanks to 4K, it will feel like the eye of Sauron saw you spill popcorn on your neighbor.
Tickets are already available for screenings, which are spread over June 8th, 9th, and 10th — no 12-hour long marathon viewings required, though each movie is hefty in its own right. These showings are the latest in a line of recent cinematic re-releases, including The Thing, Spider-Man 2, Alien, and, of course, Shrek 2. After years of trends shifting towards home viewing, it looks like the theater is finally being seen as a novelty again. Yes, you could watch The Lord of the Rings at home, but it wouldn’t look as grand.
It’s been over 20 years since Peter Jackson redefined fantasy cinema, but three-movie events like this have been an institution since the beginning. Before the release of Return of the King, fans flocked to “Trilogy Tuesday,” a marathon screening that showed the Extended Editions of the first two movies before the theatrical release of the third. Cinematic re-releases of the movies have since become more common; Return of the King returned to theaters just last year for its 20th anniversary. But chances to see all three movies in a row are few and far between, so don’t miss your chance to see Gollum slurp fish on the big screen.
