Burbank, Calif, December 14, 2009 – Oscar®-winning The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, one of the most magical, intensely spectacular epic adventures in motion picture history, can now be seen as never before when all three of Peter Jackson’s visual masterpieces explode onto Blu-ray Disc April 6th as The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy. The nine-disc set will reawaken the powerful connection that fans have to these films through rich, robust colors and crisp sound that home audiences can only experience on Blu-ray Disc. The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy will include digital copies of each film on three separate discs and will also be BD-Live enabled, offering exciting new interactive possibilities. The highly anticipated release will precede Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest videogame launch.
The Lord of the Rings, the highest grossing adventure film franchise to ever be created, was born with the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, followed by The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The multi-billion dollar franchise is expected to grow significantly as The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy brings together all three treasured films on Blu-ray Disc for the very first time, presented for home audiences the way they were meant to be seen. The Trilogy’s Blu-ray release captures the enduring Fellowship and ultimate sacrifice while enhancing the chaos and destruction of Middle-earth, delivering a visual feast that will not soon, if ever, find its equal. Of the 30 total Academy Award nominations the three The Lord of the Rings movies received, they won a record 17 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and 8 others for the third film. Based on the best-selling novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, Jackson’s movie trilogy is an epic journey of men, hobbits, elves, dwarves and the rest of Middle-earth’s creatures and cultures. The films chronicle the struggle of good versus evil with fantastic special effects and a strong emotional center.
The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy contains the original theatrical versions of the three films on Blu-ray Disc, with more than seven hours of special features. The Trilogy will be packaged in multi-disc elite packaging inside a premium rigid slipcase and will retail for $99.98 SRP. Orders are due March 2, 2010. Extended versions of the films will be released at a later date on Blu-ray Disc.
The Trilogy debuts at a time when consumers are rapidly adopting Blu-ray Disc. According to third quarter figures compiled by the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), in 2009 Blu-ray Disc set-top player sales grew 112 percent over the same period last year and this holiday season consumers can expect to see Blu-ray player prices starting around $100, making it that much easier for home audiences to see the films they love the way they were meant to be seen. Blu-ray devices are projected to be in 15 million U.S. homes by the end of this year.
The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy will also be available day and date on Video on Demand from cable and satellite providers. The films will be offered for electronic download from online retailers including iTunes, Microsoft Xbox LIVE, Zune marketplace and Amazon Video on Demand.
On April 6, 2010, day and date with the Trilogy release, renowned animator Ralph Bakshi’s literal adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy trilogy, The Lord of the Rings animated version will also be released in an all-new Deluxe Edition on Blu-ray Disc for the first time and newly remastered with new Dolby 5.1 audio and newly created extra content.
Additionally, Warner Bros. Consumer Products has teamed up with top licensees Games Workshop Ltd., Tonner Doll Company, Inc., Sideshow Collectibles, The Noble Collection, WETA, Pez Candy, Funko, LLC, Bioworld Merchandising Inc. and WMS Gaming to create an array of merchandise supporting The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, including apparel and accessories, novelties and collectibles, stationery and paper goods, toys and games.
The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest, slated for launch in spring 2010, will allow players to become the legendary Aragorn and embark on his greatest adventures through The Lord of the Rings trilogy. For the first time ever, The Lord of the Rings comes to Wii™, delivering action-packed motion controlled game play that takes full advantage of the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™. The game features accessible and authentic The Lord of the Rings game play designed for fans of all ages to enjoy together. The game will also debut for PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™ and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. Beyond The Lord of the Rings: Aragon’s Quest, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) will publish multiple games across many genres designed to appeal to a wide range of unique gamers, including hard-core RPG fans as well as families. Consumers who purchase The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest will find a coupon inside for $10 off The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy. Similarly, consumers who purchase the Trilogy will find a coupon inside for $5 off The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest.
About the Trilogy and the Films
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy tells the story of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), a hobbit who battles against the Dark Lord Sauron to save his world, Middle-earth, from the grip of evil. In the films, Frodo and his fellowship of friends and allies embark on a desperate journey to rid Middle-earth of the source of Sauron’s greatest strength, the One Ring — a ring that has the power to enslave the inhabitants of Middle-earth. The trilogy tells tales of extraordinary adventures across the treacherous landscape of Middle-earth and reveals how the power of friendship, love and courage can hold the forces of darkness at bay. Beside Wood, the films star Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, featuring Sean Bean, and Ian Holm, with Andy Serkis as Gollum. The films also star Marton Csokas, Craig Parker and Lawrence Makaoare.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
In this first part of the Trilogy, the young hobbit Frodo Baggins inherits a ring; but this ring is no mere trinket. It is the One Ring, an instrument of absolute power that could allow Sauron, the dark Lord of Mordor, to rule Middle-earth and enslave its peoples. Frodo, together with a Fellowship that includes his loyal hobbit friends, humans, a wizard, a dwarf and an elf, must take the One Ring across Middle-earth to Mount Doom, where it first was forged, and destroy it forever. Such a journey means venturing deep into territory manned by Sauron, where he is amassing his army of Orcs. And it is not only external evils that the Fellowship must combat, but also internal dissension and the corrupting influence of the One Ring itself. The course of future history is entwined with the fate of the Fellowship. The film won four Oscars® for Best Visual Effects, Cinematography, Makeup and Original Score.
Special Features:
Feature Disc (BD)
• Trailers
◦ Trailer One [HD]
◦ Trailer Two [HD]
◦ Final Trailer [HD]
• “The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer [HD]
Bonus Disc (SD)
· Welcome to Middle-earth: Houghton Mifflin In-Store Special
· Quest for the Ring: FOX TV Special
· A Passage to Middle-earth: SCI-FI Channel Special
· lordoftherings.net Featurettes
◦ Finding Hobbiton
◦ Hobbiton Comes Alive
◦ Believing the World of Bree
◦ Ringwraiths: The Fallen Kings
◦ Rivendell: The Elven Refuge
◦ Languages of Middle-earth
◦ Two Wizards
◦ Music of Middle-earth
◦ Elijah Wood
◦ Viggo Mortensen
◦ Orlando Bloom
◦ Cate Blanchett
◦ Liv Tyler
◦ Ian McKellen
◦ Weathertop: The Windy Hill
• TV Spots
◦ MTV
◦ Fellowship
◦ Top Ten/AFI
◦ Phenomenon
• Academy Nomination
• Epic Oscar
• Enya ”May It Be” Music Video
• Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
• Behind the Scenes Preview of ”The Two Towers”
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
In their parallel journeys, the Fellowship will stand against the powerful forces spreading from the Two Towers — Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where Saruman has bred a lethal army of 10,000 strong; and Sauron’s fortress at Barad-dûr, deep within the dark lands of Mordor. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers culminates in the astonishing battle for the refuge, Helm’s Deep, the Kingdom of Rohan’s ancient large stone fortress, besieged by Uruk-hai warriors. The film won two Oscars: Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects.
Special Features:
Feature Disc (BD)
• Trailers
o Teaser [HD]
o Theatrical Trailer [HD]
o “The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer [HD]
Bonus Disc (SD)
• On the Set “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”
• Starz Encore Special:Return to Middle-earth: WB Special
• ”The Long and Short of It” A Short Film Directed by Sean Astin
• The Making of ”The Long and Short of It”
• lordoftherings.net Featurettes
◦ Forces of Darkness
◦ Designing the Sounds of Middle-earth
◦ Edoras: The Rohan Capital
◦ Creatures of Middle-earth
◦ Gandalf the White
◦ Arms and Armor
◦ The Battle of Helm’s Deep
◦ Bringing Gollum to Life
• TV Spots
◦ New Power
◦ Another
◦ Event
◦ Dream
◦ Darkness
◦ Return
◦ Strike
◦ Countdown
◦ One World Review
◦ The Wait is Over
◦ Review B/Golden Globes
◦ Gollum
◦ Supreme Review
◦ Review A/Globe
◦ Good Top 10
◦ Top 10 Review
• Emiliana Torrini ”Gollum’s Song” Music Video
• Special Extended DVD Edition Preview
• Behind the Scenes Preview of ”The Return of the King”
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The final battle for Middle-earth begins. Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin), led by the mysterious Gollum (Andy Serkis), continue their dangerous mission toward the fires of Mount Doom in order to destroy the One Ring. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) struggles to fulfill his legacy as he leads his outnumbered followers against the growing power of the Dark Lord Sauron, so that the Ring-bearer may complete his quest. The film, which won Academy Awards® in all 11 categories for which it was nominated, took wins for Best Picture, Director, Editing, Art Direction, Costume Design, Visual Effects, Makeup, Adapted Screenplay, Sound Mixing, Original Song and Original Score.
Special Features:
Feature Disc (BD)
• Trailers
o Trailer One [HD]
o Trailer Two [HD]
o ”The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy Supertrailer [HD]
o Special Extended DVD Edition Preview [HD]
o “The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest” Game Trailer [HD]
Bonus Disc (SD)
· The Quest Fulfilled: A Director’s Vision
· A Filmmaker’s Journey: Making “The Return of the King”
· National Geographic Special – “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
· lordoftherings.net Featurettes
o Aragorn’s Destiny
o Minas Tirith: Capital of Gondor
o The Battle of Pelennor Fields
o Samwise the Brave
o Èowyn: White Lady of Rohan
o Digital Horse Doubles
o Two Theatrical Trailers
o TV Spots
o Heart/Frodo
o Every Path
o Test
o Aragorn
o Time
o Every Step
o Sword
o Decided
o Time Review
o Decided Review
o Step Golden Globes
o Globe Nominations
o New Epic Globe