Mark your calendars on April 6, 2010 as Warner Home Video officially releases the long-awaited Blu-ray Disc version of the “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The version entitled “The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy” would feature a nine-disc set composed of the three films plus more than seven hours of bonus features for a price tag of $99.98. Most of the extras would include special features released in the previous solo versions of the films including behind-the-scenes, interviews, and trailers.
However for avid fans, there’s a catch. The films in the set are not the extended editions but rather simply the theatrical versions. This would mean diehard “LOTR” fans would either have to wait for the extended release or to purchase two versions of the compilation, the upcoming extended version and this set.
Most blockbuster series like “Harry Potter”, “Star Wars”, “Aliens” and “Die Hard” also experience the constant package and repackaging treatment by studios to come up with different editions and configurations of the films. The “LOTR” trilogy was not exempted from the same treatment as currently there are five different disc versions including theatrical, extended, theatrical plus extended, platinum, and collector’s set to be released.
Aside from shelling out huge income from the disc version of the hit series, Warner Bros. Consumer Products would also partner with games Workshop, Tonner Doll Co., Sideshow Collectibles, WMS Gaming, and others to produce merchandise supporting the release. These will include apparel, collectibles, toys, and games following the “LOTR” theme to gain additional income. “The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” videogame by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will also hit stores shortly after.
