Lord of the Rings

MUSTWORTHINESS The three-hour, 20-minute final installment of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy earned 11 Oscars and more than $377 million -- but that's not enough for director Peter Jackson. His four-disc cut hits stores in time for Christmas, complete with 49 minutes of extra footage and 300 new F/X shots.
WHAT'S ON IT New scenes include the Nazgul king facing down Gandalf in battle, the Mouth of Sauron taunting the Fellowship at the gates of Mordor, and Aragorn tending to Eowyn in the Houses of Healing. The most anticipated addition is Gandalf's final confrontation with Saruman, a controversial last-minute cut from the film. The bonus materials will also bring the production narrative to a close, with extensive making-of featurettes.
NEXT ''As far as we know, Peter has nothing else up his sleeve,'' says New Line Home Entertainment VP Mike Mulvihill. ''But he's a DVD fan, and you never know what he may have hidden away.''

You Might Also Like

• Shaw Report Rating multiple versions of ''Lord of the Rings'' | Rachel Orvino
• DVD Review The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (May 25, 2004) | Josh Wolk
• Movie Review The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Dec 17, 2003) | Lisa Schwarzbaum
• All About The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
• In the News ''King'' extended DVD is out Dec. 14 (May 25, 2004) | Gary Susman
• In the News ''King'' extended DVD will arrive in December (Dec 17, 2003) | Gary Susman