All 3 The Lord of the Rings Movies Are Returning to Theaters in Extended Edition Form, So Prepare Yourself for Hours — and Hours — of Middle-Earth Fun All Over Again

The Lord of the Rings movies are coming back to theaters next year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring — but be prepared to strap yourself in for the long haul, as they’re all the Extended Editions.

Fathom Entertainment will release all three Extended Editions from Peter Jackson’s trilogy in DBOX presentation from January 16-18, then in standard formats from January 23-25, in theaters nationwide as part of a two-weekend event.

Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies are long enough in standard form, but the Extended Editions are epics. The Return of the Kind Extended Edition, for example, is nearly four-and-a-half hours long including credits.

Perhaps wisely, Fathom is staggering the release of the movies across each weekend period, so you can’t watch all three Extended Editions back-to-back. That might be for the best, since doing so would take you nearly 12 hours!

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The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition runtimes:

• The Fellowship of the Ring: 3 hours and 48 minutes (228 minutes)
• The Two Towers: 3 hours and 55 minutes (235 minutes)
• The Return of the King: 4 hours and 23 minutes (263 minutes)

There’s merch, too, to go along with this re-release. AMC theaters will have a popcorn bucket with a map of Middle-earth, and Regal will have a popcorn bucket with a One Ring design, Variety reported.

The Lord of the Rings Movies in (Chronological) Order

Of course, Warner Bros., which is in the process of being acquired by Netflix, is gearing up to release a brand new The Lord of the Rings movie in 2027. The Hunt for Gollum is set to chronicle a period between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings where numerous characters are searching for the all-important Ring, previously known to be in Gollum’s possession.

Gandalf is known to be searching for clues as to Gollum’s whereabouts, and even enlists the help of Fellowship member Aragorn. Both are attempting to beat the agents of Sauron to discovering the Ring’s location — something glimpsed briefly in The Fellowship of the Ring, where the words “Baggins” and “Shire” are extracted from Gollum via torture in Mordor.

It has now been more than 20 years since audiences first saw the much-loved Fellowship characters sail off from the Grey Havens at the end of Return of the King. With Hunt for Gollum set several years prior to this, it remains to be seen whether some form of digital de-aging will be used as older actors reprise their roles. Indeed, Legolas actor Orlando Bloom has previously expressed interest in also returning, though suggested “AI would have to come into play.”

To date, only Gollum actor Andy Serkis, who is directing The Hunt for Gollum, himself has confirmed he will appear in the film, though Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen has said he is also open to returning, and it very much sounds like Elijah Wood will reprise his role as Frodo. The Hunt for Gollum is due to begin filming in New Zealand next year, ahead of its release on December 17, 2027.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.