Extended ‘Rings’ DVD out Dec. 14

Tue., Sept. 28, 2004

Associated Press

If you want to find out just how Gandalf and the Hobbits thwarted the evil white wizard Saruman in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” wait no longer than Dec. 14.

That’s when the extended edition DVD of the 11-Oscar-winning movie hits stores, complete with 50 minutes of additional footage for the film, which is already 3 hours and 40 minutes long.

Along with the big battle eliminating Saruman, played by Christopher Lee — which was cut from the theatrical version — the DVD release includes romantic subplots and other scenes that director Peter Jackson wanted to include, but couldn’t, in his lengthy epic.

Jackson makes a cameo appearance in one cut scene, as a pirate killed by a stray arrow when Aragorn and the ghostly Army of the Dead take over his ship.

The four-disc extended edition, which will retail for about $40, will also include assorted documentaries about the fantasy trilogy, the special effects that helped create Middle-Earth and the symphony composed from the score by Howard Shore.

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