Middle-Earth Ultimate Collector's Edition In 4K Ultra HD Is Coming In October To Rule Them All

If the big "Lord of the Rings" 4K box set that came out last year wasn't enough Middle-earth for you, I have some good news. There's an even bigger, even better 4K set on the way. And when I say bigger, I mean it: this thing contains a whopping 31-discs. The release will include new special features along with the theatrical and extended versions of all six films in 4K Ultra HD and on Blu-ray discs remastered from the 4K master. In short, this is going to be the definitive release of these six films. Until they probably decide to release an even bigger version a few years from now. In the meantime, if you want to get a good look at the size of this new release, check out an unboxing video below. 

I love "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy (for the sake of staying positive, let's not go into "The Hobbit" trilogy for now). It's a huge achievement in filmmaking – a truly epic, sweeping saga that feels almost overwhelmingly "real." I don't say real in the sense that I'm a lunatic who thinks Middle-earth is a real place. I simply mean that the level of production design and world-building on display is so impressive, so expansive, so detailed that it goes a long way toward making this fantasy world feel genuine and lived-in. The world these characters inhabit truly feels ancient and sprawling. So even though I already have the previously-released 4K box set, I must get my hands on this new, massive set that will be arriving on October 26, 2021, to mark the 20th anniversary of "The Fellowship of the Ring." 

This release includes the theatrical and extended versions of the six films from New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures in 4K UHD with HDR – "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug," and "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies," "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." 

The 4K process, which was overseen by Peter Jackson, "dramatically expands the color palette and contrast range and uses dynamic metadata to automatically optimize the picture for every screen, frame by frame."

The set comes in a "Puzzle Box" packaging that includes "a 64-page booklet featuring costumes, photography and production notes from the film, and art cards featuring travel posters and images from iconic locations throughout Middle-earth including The Shire, Lake-Town, Erebor, Anduin, Rohan, Minas Tirith, and Rivendell." 

The original Cannes Film Festival presentation reel will also be included, along with footage from the recent Alamo Drafthouse cast reunion featuring director Peter Jackson along with cast members Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Ian McKellan, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortenson, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, and Elijah Wood. Here's a list of features included. 

• Cannes Film Festival Presentation Reel
• Alamo Drafthouse Cast Reunion
• "The Fellowship of the Ring" – RT: 39:38​ (with Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin and Elijah Wood)
• "The Two Towers" – RT: 32:24​ (with Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Liv Tyler and Viggo Mortenson)​
• "The Return of the King" – RT: 29:48 (with Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis, and Peter Jackson)​