Domestic Box-Office Total
- Starring: Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Brad Dourif, Bernard Hill, Ian McKellen, Dominic Monaghan, Viggo Mortensen, John Noble, Miranda Otto, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Liv Tyler, Hugo Weaving, David Wenham, Elijah Wood, Karl Urban, Joel Tobeck, Bruce Spence, Alistair Browning
- Director: Peter Jackson
- Screenwriter: J.R.R. Tolkien, Frances Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson
- Studio: New Line Home Entertainment
- Rating: PG-13
- Running Time: 4 hrs. 10 mins.
- Release Date: December 14, 2004
SYNOPSIS:
Sauron's forces have laid siege to Minas Tirith, the capital of Gondor, in their efforts to eliminate the race of men. The once-great kingdom, watched over by a fading steward, has never been in more desperate need of its king. But can Aragorn (Mortensen) answer the call of his heritage and become what he was born to be? In no small measure, the fate of Middle-earth rests on his broad shoulders. With the final battle joined and the legions of darkness gathering, Gandalf (McKellen) urgently tries to rally Gondor's broken army to action. He is aided by Rohan's King Theoden (Hill), who unites his warriors for history's biggest test. Yet even with their courage and passionate loyalty, the forces of men--with Eowyn (Otto) and Merry (Monaghan) hidden among them--are no match for the enemies swarming against Gondor. Still, in the face of great losses, they charge forward into the battle of their lifetimes, tied together by their singular goal to keep Sauron distracted and give the Ring Bearer a chance to complete his quest. Their hopes rest with Frodo (Wood), a tiny but determined hobbit making a perilous trip across treacherous enemy lands to cast the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. The closer Frodo gets to his final destination, the heavier his burden becomes and the more he must rely on Samwise Gamgee (Astin). Gollum-and the Ring itself-will test Frodo's allegiances and, ultimately, his humanity. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King concludes the epic story of these characters, their relationships and rivalries, and reveals how through courage, commitment and determination even the least of us can change the world.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Collector's Set Extras:
Elaborate package art conceived and designed solely for the gift set by famed J.R.R. Tolkien illustrator Alan Lee. Inside will be a hand-painted, intricately detailed, polystone sculpture of Minas Tirith – the seven-tiered City of Kings, beneath whose ramparts the greatest battle in The Lord of the Rings is fought. The Minas Tirith statue also lifts off its base revealing a lined keepsake compartment.
Also included is a fifth DVD titled, Howard Shore: Creating The Lord of The Rings Symphony – A Composers Journey Through Middle-earth. This 52-minute bonus DVD includes excerpts of live concert footage of The Lord of the Rings Symphony recorded with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
DVD Features:
Discs 1-2: The Feature:
A new version of the final installment in the epic trilogy! The Academy-Award® winning film now has 50 minutes of never-before-seen footage incorporated into the film for this highly-anticipated video release:
• Four audio commentaries by the director and writers, the design team, the production team and the cast featuring more than 30 participants including Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom and Academy Award® winners Richard Taylor, Howard Shore and many more.
• Cast commentary also features dialogue between split-personality characters Gollum and Smeagol (Andy Serkis)!
Discs 3-4: The Appendices
Two discs with hours of original content including multiple documentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images to give viewers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:
THE APPENDICES PART V: "The War of the Ring"
• Disc intro by director Peter Jackson
• "J.R.R. Tolkien: The Legacy of Middle-earth" documentary
From Book to Script:
• "From Book to Script: Forging the Final Chapter" documentary
• Abandoned Concept: Aragorn Battles Sauron
Designing and Building Middle-earth
• "Designing Middle-earth" documentary
• "Big-atures" documentary
• "Weta Workshop" documentary
• "Costume Design" documentary
Design Galleries - 2,123 images
• The Peoples of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio)
• The Realms of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio)
• Miniatures (galleries with docent audio)
• "Home of the Horse Lords" documentary
• "Middle-earth Atlas: Tracing the Journeys of the Fellowship" interactive map
• "New Zealand as Middle-earth" interactive map w/on-location footage
THE APPENDICES PART VI: "The Passing of an Age"
• Disc intro by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan
Filming The Return of the King
• "Cameras in Middle-earth" documentary
• Production Photos (gallery) - 69 images
Visual Effects
• "Weta Digital" documentary
• "The Mumakil Battle" demonstration / multi-angle interactive feature
Post Production: Journey's End
• "Editorial: Completing the Trilogy" documentary
• "Music for Middle-earth" documentary
• "The Soundscapes of Middle-earth" documentary
• "The End of All Things" documentary
• "The Passing of an Age" documentary
Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for "Into the West"
• "Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for 'Into the West'" documentary
• "DFK6498" short film
• "Strike Zone" short film
DVD-ROM CONTENT: Includes access to exclusive online features
Elaborate package art conceived and designed solely for the gift set by famed J.R.R. Tolkien illustrator Alan Lee. Inside will be a hand-painted, intricately detailed, polystone sculpture of Minas Tirith – the seven-tiered City of Kings, beneath whose ramparts the greatest battle in The Lord of the Rings is fought. The Minas Tirith statue also lifts off its base revealing a lined keepsake compartment.
Also included is a fifth DVD titled, Howard Shore: Creating The Lord of The Rings Symphony – A Composers Journey Through Middle-earth. This 52-minute bonus DVD includes excerpts of live concert footage of The Lord of the Rings Symphony recorded with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
DVD Features:
Discs 1-2: The Feature:
A new version of the final installment in the epic trilogy! The Academy-Award® winning film now has 50 minutes of never-before-seen footage incorporated into the film for this highly-anticipated video release:
• Four audio commentaries by the director and writers, the design team, the production team and the cast featuring more than 30 participants including Peter Jackson, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom and Academy Award® winners Richard Taylor, Howard Shore and many more.
• Cast commentary also features dialogue between split-personality characters Gollum and Smeagol (Andy Serkis)!
Discs 3-4: The Appendices
Two discs with hours of original content including multiple documentaries and design/photo galleries with thousands of images to give viewers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:
THE APPENDICES PART V: "The War of the Ring"
• Disc intro by director Peter Jackson
• "J.R.R. Tolkien: The Legacy of Middle-earth" documentary
From Book to Script:
• "From Book to Script: Forging the Final Chapter" documentary
• Abandoned Concept: Aragorn Battles Sauron
Designing and Building Middle-earth
• "Designing Middle-earth" documentary
• "Big-atures" documentary
• "Weta Workshop" documentary
• "Costume Design" documentary
Design Galleries - 2,123 images
• The Peoples of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio)
• The Realms of Middle-earth (galleries with docent audio)
• Miniatures (galleries with docent audio)
• "Home of the Horse Lords" documentary
• "Middle-earth Atlas: Tracing the Journeys of the Fellowship" interactive map
• "New Zealand as Middle-earth" interactive map w/on-location footage
THE APPENDICES PART VI: "The Passing of an Age"
• Disc intro by Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan
Filming The Return of the King
• "Cameras in Middle-earth" documentary
• Production Photos (gallery) - 69 images
Visual Effects
• "Weta Digital" documentary
• "The Mumakil Battle" demonstration / multi-angle interactive feature
Post Production: Journey's End
• "Editorial: Completing the Trilogy" documentary
• "Music for Middle-earth" documentary
• "The Soundscapes of Middle-earth" documentary
• "The End of All Things" documentary
• "The Passing of an Age" documentary
Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for "Into the West"
• "Cameron Duncan: The Inspiration for 'Into the West'" documentary
• "DFK6498" short film
• "Strike Zone" short film
DVD-ROM CONTENT: Includes access to exclusive online features
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