VB Mobile is reporting that the Lord of the Rings trilogy will FINALLY hit blu-ray April 6th, 2010. The retail price will be $99.98 for the nine disc set, and will include all three films in their theatrical cuts.
While I’m happy to finally see progress being made on this long awaited blu-ray set, I’m concerned about the extended cuts of these films. I remember having to shell out a lot of money a few years back to obtain the theatrical DVD releases initially, which were then followed by the extended cut editions with the massive additional footage, extras, and improved visual quality (due to the multiple DVDs for the movie itself).
The initial listing of these movies a few months back caused a negative reaction from the fans who were hoping for something a bit more definitive (BOTH editions in one package), and then all went quiet with the release. I myself was hoping for them to come back with an answer about the extended cuts, but with this new announcement I don’t know if anything has changed. I do hope that Newline or the distributors address this gaping hole. I myself am on the fence about ordering this without mention of the director’s cuts… but I have to admit I am tempted!
UPDATE: Here’s a trailer for the blu-ray release.
Read More: Lord of the Rings hits Blu-ray in April
