Lord of the Rings Movie Re-Releases Include New Introductions With Peter Jackson, and Anecdotes Including the One Where Viggo Mortensen Had to Hide a Black Eye

Lord of the Rings manager Peter Jackson has filmed caller introductions for each movie successful the trilogy, featuring reflections and anecdotes connected filming.

Warner Bros. Pictures and re-release institution Fathom Entertainment announced these introductions this week arsenic an other dainty for fans headed to spot the films during their upcoming theatrical re-release.

Entertainment Weekly has previewed the introductions and dubbed them arsenic "lengthy" and "welcome." In 1 excerpt shared online, Jackson discusses however the trilogy was filmed arsenic 1 azygous elephantine project, with scenes from Fellowship of the Ring changeable the aforesaid week arsenic Return of the King. Later, the manager tells the communicative of however helium was forced to rethink the Fellowship's memorable cave troll combat successful Moria, aft Aragorn histrion Viggo Mortensen came into enactment 1 Monday greeting sporting an tremendous achromatic eye.

It's a communicative Jackson has told before, but it's a amusive 1 — Mortensen had sustained the wounded portion "out with the Hobbits" — and seemingly portion surfing, his committee had flipped up and caught him successful the face. Watch the cave troll combat present and you'll announcement that Mortensen is lone filmed from 1 side, portion his achromatic oculus is hidden from view.

All 3 movies volition beryllium shown successful their Extended Edition signifier this weekend, with 1 movie per time from January 16-18. The shorter, modular editions volition past beryllium shown adjacent weekend, from January 13-25.

There’s merch, too, to spell on with this re-release. AMC theaters volition person a popcorn bucket with a representation of Middle-earth, and Regal volition person a popcorn bucket with a One Ring design, Variety has reported.

While promoting the trilogy's re-release this week, Jackson confirmed helium volition ne'er motorboat an "extended-extended" chopped of the films, adjacent though much worldly was changeable and ne'er released. "Are determination large scenes that we ne'er used? The reply is no," Jackson said. "There are bits and pieces, I guess. But if you did an extended-extended cut, oregon immoderate it volition get called, it would beryllium disappointing." At much than 4 hours for The Return of the King's Extended Edition, they're astir apt agelong enough.

After the trilogy's re-launch this month, fans tin look guardant to much from Middle-earth connected the large surface with the upcoming The Lord of the Rings prequel The Hunt for Gollum, owed for merchandise adjacent twelvemonth connected December 17, 2027. Frodo histrion Elijah Wood — who looks apt to reprise his relation connected the task — antecedently praised the movie for reuniting Jackson Jackson with his Middle-earth scriptwriting squad Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, arsenic good arsenic Gollum histrion Andy Serkis, who is acceptable to some prima successful and nonstop the film.

Image credit: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social