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NOOOO!!! Lord of the Rings Blu-ray set pushed to 2010?!?

Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy Blu-rayNooooo! Say it ain’t so! This can’t be happening, right? It’s all a dream, isn’t it? Sigh…

I have to admit, I’ve been getting a little worried that the Lord of the Rings Boxed set might not come out this year. After all, we’re well into September and Warner has yet to issue an official press release announcing it. That’s totally unlike them. And look, they’re being quite vocal about the Gone With the Wind set that hits stores on November 17th, a full couple of weeks after the proposed LOTR release date of November 2nd. Urgh. This sounds like it might be true. This is depressing…

So, now news has come from overseas that Aurum, the studio that handles the Rings films in Spain, has confirmed that they will be releasing the LOTR Blu-ray set next year because the films have been delayed until 2010 in the USA. I can also confirm that a Holiday GIft guide sent to me from Warner PR here in Canada, and which featured a handful of titles not yet officially announced, DID NOT include the Rings box set. This is too much evidence to simply ignore. I think I’m going to have to brace myself for a standard-def viewing of the trilogy this holiday season. Why is this happening, you might ask?

Blu-ray.com reports that a settlement was reached earlier this month between the Tolkien estate and New Line, which may be the cause of the delay but also confirms that Warner Germany will be releasing Ralph Bakshi’s animated Lord of the Rings in November 2009. Sounds to me like there might be another issue if the Bakshi film is sneaking out. Perhaps Warner/New Line is rethinking the theatrical cut/ extended cut double dip?

Are you happier not having the box set of the theatrical cut of the Rings films and waiting another year for an ultimate set or would you rather have something, anything LOTR to watch this holiday season?

(BTW - Amazon.com is still pre-selling the Lord of the RIngs Blu-ray set for $69.99)

Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: Lord of the Rings Blu-ray Box Set Details

Via: Blu-ray.com

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4 comments for “NOOOO!!! Lord of the Rings Blu-ray set pushed to 2010?!?”

  1. IMO it would be nice to get “All” the Versions in one blu-ray box set. I can wait for LOTR. but the Star Wars Saga Should be Released NOW! 4 Xmas 09!!

    Posted by Blu-Jawa | September 8, 2009, 2:11 am
  2. [...] Why? WHYYY?! Sometimes life isn’t fair. I guess Warner/New Line really wants me to watch my old DVD versions of Lord of the Rings one last time because, according to Bill Hunt at The Digital Bits (best site in the universe, BTW!), the boxed set of the theatrical cuts has been pushed back. “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Blu-ray release HAS been pushed into early 2010. Sources at the studio tell me that it’s now tentatively set for release in March of next year. There’s no official reason for the delay, because again the title hasn’t even officially been announced. But the sense we’re getting is that the studio already has a number of big 3rd and 4th quarter titles coming on Blu-ray this year - think Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, North by Northwest, etc - and they didn’t want Rings to get lost in the crowd. Pushing it back five months into early 2010 gives them more time to prepare and promote the title, and there will be still more BD players in people’s homes after the holidays anyway.” [...]

    Posted by Confirmed: No Lord of the Rings until March 2010 | The Blu-Ray Blog | September 11, 2009, 11:03 am
  3. Posted by O. W. | October 4, 2009, 2:43 pm
  4. [...] details of the set. But all the while, the studio remained mum, refusing to confirm release date. Then came word that the set had been pushed back to 2010. And that word was confirmed by Warner. And Christmas was ruined [...]

    Posted by Lord of the Rings Blu-ray Release Date Confirmed…again. | The Blu-Ray Blog | December 14, 2009, 9:29 am

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