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Almost every person who considers themselves to be a massiveLord of the Ringsfan would say that they prefer the Extended Editions of theLord of the Ringsmovies over the theatrically released ones. It has been pretty much universally accepted among fans that the Extended Editions are better, despite (or perhaps because of, for some) the fact that they make theLOTRmovies' already-long runtimes even longer. But what is it about the Extended Editions that make them so beloved to fans?
Is it the extra content? Is it the added lore and story elements that get to appear on-screen with the extra time given? Is it because these extended scenes give more fun character moments than are seen in the theatrical versions? The answer is a mix of all of these things, asthe Extended Editions ofLord of the Ringsactually provide a lot of value, especially for those who are craving more from Middle-earth. The movies work well without these scenes, but they work even better with them.
What’s Different About The LOTR Extended Editions?
Each of the three Peter JacksonLord of the Ringsmovies has their own unique changes that were madebetween the theatrical releases and the Extended Editions. The reason many of these scenes were cut in the first place was for time, which is understandable, as theLOTRmovies are all about three hours long to begin with. However, a lot of these scenes are so iconic amongLOTRfans that a lot of people forget that they aren’t in the main theatrical releases. Here are all of the extra scenes that appear in the Extended Editions of eachLOTRmovie.
The Fellowship of the Ring
The extended scenes inThe Fellowship of the RingExtended Edition add an extra 30 minutes to the movie, making the total runtime 3 hours and 28 minutes long.
The Two Towers
The Extended Edition ofThe Two Towersincludes 44 minutes of extra content, making the total length of the film 3 hours and 43 minutes.
The Return of the King
The Return of the KingExtended Edition adds the most extra material, with an additional 51 minutes added to the runtime, making the total a whopping 4 hours and 11 minutes.
Why Do The Extended Editions Make LOTR Better?
While the originalLord of the Ringsmovies work well on their own and still tell a complete story, there’s just something about the Extended Editions that makes them even better. The extra time allotted to scenes that weren’t deemed “necessary” for the theatrical releases just allows for a fuller picture of Middle-earth and the characters the audience has been following within it. These extra scenes show quirky character beats, expand upon the history and lore of Middle-earth, and even develop relationships that aren’t seen otherwise (such as that of Faramir and Eowyn).
In other words, these additional scenes are really fun for bigLOTRfans because they provide added context about the world of Middle-earth andmake the characters feel even more fully realizedthan the theatrical versions do. While they’re not necessary for understanding the story, they certainly help flesh it out, and make theLOTRfilms feel that much more expansive. There are so many Extended Edition scenes that have become iconic, to the point where many fans forget that they weren’t originally included in the films' initial release. This is a testament to how beloved these little moments are, and how they really add to the atmosphere of the films overall.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
