Summary

  • The Lord of the Rings extended editions add more footage, making it feel like a whole new experience.
  • The added scenes provide extra dialogue and introduce new layers to characters.
  • The extended editions set up future plot points and shed new light on the Hobbits and main characters.

As epic as the original theatrical trilogy was, the Lord of the Rings extended editions added a lot more to the adventures in Middle-earth. One year after the theatrical cut of each Lord of the Rings movie, an extended version arrived. These editions add tons of new footage, increasing the Lord of the Rings extended editions' length from the theatrical runtime of 9 hours and 3 minutes to 11 hours and 36 minutes. While still the same grand fantasy story, the added scenes make the Lord of the Rings extended editions feel like a whole new experience.

Sometimes, the LOTR extended edition changes provide an extra line of dialogue. In other situations, an unseen conversation introduces a whole new layer to various Lord of the Rings characters. However, there are also entirely new scenes in each of the movies to explore. Peter Jackson, who directed all three Lord of the Rings films, stated he prefers the theatrical versions since the LOTR extended editions are mostly for the benefit of fans who want to see everything excised from the final cut. However, seeing all these extra moments is a fun way to revisit the trilogy.

The Fellowship Of The Ring Extended Edition Scenes

Extended Edition Runtime: 208 minutes

Cate Blanchett as Galadriel in Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring.

Scene

Description

Duration

Concerning Hobbits

Bilbo records information about the hobbits and the shire for his memoir.

2:58

At the Green Dragon

Frodo visits the Green Dragon inn with Sam.

1:26

The Passing of the Elves

Frodo and Sam see Wood Elves heading to the Undying Lands.

1:37

The Midgewater Marshes

The hobbits travel through the marshes.

1:39

Gilraen's Memorial

Aragorn visits his mother's monument in Rivendell.

1:14

The Departure of The Fellowship

Elrond bods the Fellowship a final farewell.

1:17

The Lord of the Rings theatrical vs extended edition length for The Fellowship of the Ring adds 30 extra minutes to the movie's runtime once all the minor and extended shots are factored in alongside the new scenes. A good chunk of this footage sets up future plot points that don't become important until the later installments, such as when Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) is spotted singing a love song in honor of his relationship with Arwen (Liv Tyler). Another added scene depicts Aragorn visiting his mother's gravestone, with Elrond trying to convince him to become the new King of Gondor.

The real significance of this scene is that it hails directly from the books, but also helps to foreshadow the fact that Frodo goes to the Undying Lands at the end of the story.

The Fellowship of the Ring's extended edition differences in the first act shed new light on the Hobbits and help to introduce the main characters, particularly Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin). Sam's budding relationship with local barmaid Rosie Cotton, the woman he'll eventually marry after Return of the King, is explored to some degree too. These scenes allow the audience to learn more about Hobbits in general before the true adventure begins in the extended edition vs. the theatrical.

A key scene included in the Lord of the Rings extended edition involves Frodo, Sam, and the Wood Elves. The pint-sized duo is camping when they spot Wood Elves leaving for the Undying Lands where they can live forever. The real significance of this scene is that it hails directly from the books, but also helps to foreshadow the fact that Frodo goes to the Undying Lands at the end of the story.

Another noteworthy addition comes when Galadriel (Cate Blanchett) hands out valuable gifts to the Fellowship of the Ring. Seeing each character receive their new items, like Legolas' bow and Gimli's lock of hair, isn't essential to the plot, but is still a neat inclusion, giving audiences a chance to learn more about the main characters' magical items.

Related
Lord Of The Rings 4K vs HD: Which Is Better?
The breathtaking 4K restoration features audio/visual improvements that recapture the magic of Peter Jackson's fantasy franchise all over again.

The Two Towers Extended Edition Scenes

Extended Edition Runtime: 223 minutes

Scene

Description

Duration

Elven Rope

Frodo and Sam make their way down a mountain.

2:01

Massacre at the Fords of Isen

Eomer and his riders come across the battlefield where Theodred has fallen.

1:09

The Song of the Entwives

Treebeard sings a song for Pippin and Merry.

1:41

The Heir of Númenor

Gandalf tells Aragorn that Sauron fears him as the heir to the throne of Men.

2:09

Ent Draft

Pippin drinks the nourishment of the Ents and grows taller.

3:05

The Funeral of Théodred

Theoden leads the mourning of his son as Eowyn sings a tribute.

1:23

Brego

Aragorn calms Théodred's horse in the stables by speaking elvish.

1:42

The Ring of Barahir

Wormtongue arrives in Isengard and tells Saruman about a man wearing the ring of the Heir of Isildur.

1:31

One of the Dúnedain

Eowyn makes stew for Aragorn and realizes his lineage as they travel to Helm's Deep.

3:06

Sons of the Steward

Faramir has a flashback to Boromir retaking Osgiliath and their father sending him to Rivendell.

4:41

Fangorn comes to Helm's Deep

The Ents arrive to finish off the Orcs as they flee the battle.

0:54

The Final Tally

Gimli and Legolas compare their body counts during the battle.

0:41

Flotsam and Jetsam

Pippin and Merry find a supply of food and pipeweed in the ruins of Isengard.

2:02

Farewell to Faramir

Faramir leads Frodo, Sam and Gollum out of Osgiliath.

2:28

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers runtime is boosted by 44 minutes of additional footage in the extended editions. This version adds more to the scenes with Pippin (Billy Boyd) and Merry (Dominic Monaghan) during their encounter with Treebeard the Ent (John Rhys-Davies). Earlier in the film, when the Uruk-hai are taking the Hobbits to Isengard, Merry seems ill, so Pippin begs their captors to give him water. Instead, the Uruk-hai offers some of their alcohol and laughs the request off.

While it is nice to see Sean Bean back as Boromir, it dampens the impact of seeing how poor a ruler Denethor is when he is introduced in Return of the King.

Much of Saruman's preparation for the attack on Helm's Deep remained on the cutting room floor, including burning the forest of Fangorn, encouraging the villagers to attack Rohan, and building a dam. One deleted scene present in the Lord of the Rings extended edition is a flashback that answers questions regarding the motives of Faramir (David Fenham), providing insight into his relationship with Boromir (Sean Bean) for the first time.

Boromir died prior to Faramir's first appearance, so the flashback allows them to feature in the same scene, and it's here we learn that their father, Denethor (John Noble), much prefers Boromir over his younger brother. While it is nice to see Sean Bean back as Boromir, it dampens the impact of seeing how poor a ruler Denethor is when he is introduced in Return of the King.

A new Aragorn scene reveals a few personal details in the book that aren't directly addressed in the theatrical version of the trilogy. Aragorn is said to be 87, and this fact explains how he became such an experienced warrior. Knowing Aragorn's true age affords the viewer a better understanding of the character. Lastly, King Theoden's son is given a proper funeral in the extended edition; in the theatrical version, the film merely cuts to Theoden mourning Theodred after asking where he is.

Related
Lord Of The Rings: 15 Deleted Scenes You Won’t Believe Were Cut
Peter Jackson stuffed a lot of great material into his lengthy Lord of the Rings adaption, but some deleted scenes should've never been left out.

The Return Of The King Extended Edition Scenes

Extended Edition Runtime: 250 minutes

Scene

Description

Duration

The Voice of Saruman

Gandalf parlay with a defeated Saruman who is then killed by Wormtongue.

6:22

The Decline of Gondor

After his failed meeting with Denethor, Gandalf tells Pippin the history of Gondor.

2:27

The Wizard's Pupil

Faramir returns from Osgiliath and reports to his father Denethor.

2:28

Peregrin of the Tower Guard

Faramir gives Pippin the armor he wore as a child and welcomes him to the tower guard.

1:27

The Corsairs of Umbar

The Dead King leads his army to attack the Corsairs' ships.

1:02

Merry's Simple Courage

Merry inspired Eowyn to have hope ahead of the battle.

1:51

The Tomb of the Stewards

Denethor finds Faramir's unconscious body and tells his guards to flee the battle.

2:11

The Witch King's Hour

Gandalf faces off with the Witch King.

1:06

The Houses of Healing

Eomer finds Eowyn on the battlefield.

2:22

Aragorn Masters the Palantír

Aragorn confronts Sauron via the Palantír.

1:30

The Captain and the White Lady

Faramir comforts Eowyn.

0:51

In the Company of Orcs

Sam and Frodo are mistaken for orcs.

3:37

The Mouth of Sauron

Aragorn and the other heroes meet with Sauron's messenger who claims Frodo is dead.

3:15

With 51 minutes of extra footage, the longest Lord of the Rings movie is made significantly longer for the extended cut. The extended edition of Return of the King further makes for an epic end to the tale, and includes multiple scenes whose absence is incredibly notable when rewatching the theatrical release. The extended edition also gives Eomer (Karl Urban) one of his best scenes in the trilogy. A deleted scene shows Eomer's horror as he discovers his Eowyn (Miranda Otto) lying on the battlefield.

With the burden of Return of the King ending the trilogy, it easily had the most to gain from extended scenes.

Another example of a major character missing out on their most important scene is the evil wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee). Saruman is an antagonist in The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, but the theatrical cut doesn't end Saruman's story and he is simply not heard from again. The extended edition includes Saruman's death scene. Gandalf and the others come across a defeated Saruman who is still defiant but is quickly stabbed by Wormtongue and falls off his tower to his death.

One character cut completely from the theatrical cut of The Lord of the Rings was the Mouth of Sauron (Bruce Spence). The Mouth of Sauron is a disfigured creature with an unsettling appearance who lies and tells the heroes Frodo is dead, but Aragorn isn't fooled and chops off his head. Some argue this was out-of-character for Aragorn, but Jackson claims the scene lacked effect.

One of the best moments cut from the theatrical Return of the King was Gandalf fighting the Witch King. Gandalf is losing, but the sound of the horn distracts the Witch King, forcing him to depart without killing the white wizard. Other scenes give storylines a chance to breathe, including Eowyn and Faramir's romance.

Unanswered questions are also addressed in the Return of the King extended edition with a scene showing how Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli take the Black Ships as well as how Aragorn's mind wins over Sauron when he holds the Palantir. With the burden of Return of the King ending the trilogy, it easily had the most to gain from extended scenes.

Related
7 Lord Of The Rings Questions 2024's New Movie Can Finally Answer
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is a highly-anticipated release in 2024. Here are some Middle Earth questions it can clear up.

Lord Of The Rings 4K Editions Vs Extended Editions

The Latest Editions Focus On The Visual Quality Of The Movies

Eowyn looking scared while wearing a helmet before battle in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

To celebrate the 20th anniversary, Peter Jackson remastered The Lord of the Rings extended edition in full 4K and Dolby Atmos, revitalizing the trilogy. There are no new or extended scenes added alongside the 4K-restored LOTR version, with the emphasis placed firmly on sound and visuals, rather than material that might've been left in the editing suite. One massive change is bringing consistency to the LotR trilogy's coloration since The Fellowship of the Ring's color timing utilized a totally different method compared to later installments. This created a more consistent look through the franchise.

Everything now looks the same, from the opening of The Fellowship of the Ring to Bilbo's return home in The Battle of Five Armies. The blue-green tint added by previous remasters was removed. Every frame looks crisp, with Jackson scanning the original The Lord of the Rings 35mm negatives to create a higher resolution.

There's a pleasing balance between the natural warmth of film, and the crystal sharpness of modern technology, which is especially evident in close-ups. Some of the Lord of the Rings digital effects were adjusted since preexisting CGI can look bad in 4K. Peter Jackson explained the original effects aren't being replaced, just brushed up and improved.

Related
15 Ways The Lord Of The Rings Movies Were Almost Completely Different
Frodo almost got lucky with a woman three-times his size in one of the many versions of The Lord of the Rings that almost came to pass.

Are The LOTR Extended Editions Better?

The Extended Editions Are A More Complete Yet Daunting Watching Experience

Sam and Rosie smiling at their wedding in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

It is hard to find faults in the theatrical additions of the trilogy and when it comes to viewing the trilogy for the first time, the original versions are likely a cleaner and more effective way of telling the story. However, for the majority of Lord of the Rings fans, the extended editions have become the preferred way to revisit the movie. Moments like the death of Saruman become glaring absences. Sauron feels less intimidating without the Mouth of Sauron, and Aragorn's begrudging acceptance of his birthright loses poignancy without the flashbacks to his conversations with Elrond.

The deleted scenes in the LOTR extended editions aren't trivial fan-service exercises – they add a new layer that makes The Lord of the Rings theatrical cuts feel naked in comparison. The only drawback is the length. It takes almost 12 hours to marathon all the extended edition Lord of the Rings movies.

The theatrical cuts weren't exactly short, but the extended editions had to be split across two discs in most physical formats. However, this has led to many advocates arguing that this makes life easier, as those constrained for time can view the expanded cuts of Lord of the Rings in six sittings that take just under 2 hours.

All three movies have a satisfactory midway cut-off point, and great care was taken to ensure changing the disc disrupted immersion as little as possible. When each movie is shy of four hours, a break is a welcome introduction, even for hardcore fans. They'd take half a day to watch back to back, but the extended editions are the best way to experience Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings.

Frodo and Sam's journey walking from the Shire to Mount Doom is one of the most epic stories ever told, and the extended cuts are the closest cinema has come to truly capturing the scope and majesty of Tolkien's original text.

Related
10 Lord Of The Rings & Hobbit Changes To Tolkien's Books That Went Too Far
Peter Jackson made many changes to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit for his movies, and not all of them went over well with viewers.

Is The LOTR Extended Edition Available To Stream?

The Theatrical And Extended Editions Are Available To Stream In One Location

Frodo with Sam and Merry in the background in The Lord of the Rings the Fellowship of the Ring

For anyone interested in the differences in the story when it comes to the Lord of the Rings theatrical vs. extended editions, there is the option to more easily compare scenes by viewing both on streaming services. This is because — unlike a lot of other "extended" editions for movies are Blu-ray exclusives — these movies were released as separate entities from the theatrical home video releases. The Lord of the Rings extended editions and theatrical versions are both available on Max, making it extremely accessible for Lord of the Rings fans to watch and compare side-by-side.

Related
10 Lord Of The Rings Canon Details People Always Get Wrong
The Lord of the Rings has one of my more complex lores of fandom, which makes J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth canon easy to misunderstand.

Do The Extra Scenes Add To The Movies?

Which Characters Benefit Most From The Extended Editions?

Gandalf holding Frodo in the snow outside Moria in The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition

The overwhelming consensus of fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy is that the extended editions do add to the movies. More often than not, they provide more depth of understanding of the characters. Even something as simple as Samwise Gamgee adding a verse about Gandalf’s fireworks to a song shows his appreciation for the wizard but also reminds the audience that Hobbits have an appreciation for fun and things of beauty that might be lost on someone else.

The character who gets the most assistance from the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings movies is Boromir. Much of his characterization before interacting with the ring is lost to the cutting room floor for the theatrical releases. The audience gets to know him much better through the extended scenes, understanding that his chief concern is for his people, and he’s willing to sacrifice everything for them. The extended scenes give an appreciation for just how much the ring changes him.

Of course, not every scene available in The Lord of the Rings extended addition furthers the plot or adds characterization. It’s easy to see why some of them ended up snipped from the film. The extended sequence with the Army of the Dead, for example, isn’t needed in The Return of the King.

While it allows Gimli to make some humorous attempts at dodging bones, his humor is already well-established by that point in the trilogy. All the scene does is drag out the time with the added elements, interrupting the pacing of the movie. Pacing is the reason the theatrical versions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy work so well without those extended scenes.

Ultimately, there are going to be just as many scenes in The Lord of the Rings extended editions that add to the movies as there are those that slow them down. The give and take of additional content is something Lord of the Rings fans will be prepared for though.

Related
8 Ways Lord Of The Rings' New Movie Connects To The Main Trilogy
Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is set over a century before Jackson's LOTR trilogy, but these films will still share exciting connections.

Rings Of Power Proved More Middle-earth Isn't Necessarily Better

The Franchise Has Struggled To Move Past The Original Trilogy

The positive reception to the Lord of the Rings extended editions may have given the impression that there was an endless appetite for more Middle-earth content. However, both the follow-up The Hobbit movie trilogy and Amazon's The Rings of Power proved that there could be such a thing as too much Tolkien. With a massive budget, Amazon's Rings of Power was expected to create a much larger cultural impact than it did, and while season 2 of The Rings of Power is on the way, showrunners have already indicated they're making some changes in their approach.

The series found an audience and was successful by the standards of streaming series, but also received mixed reviews and was somewhat overshadowed by HBO's competing fantasy prequel House of Dragons. Amazon also embraced the maximalism of Jackson's Lord of the Rings, with each of eight episodes running well over an hour in length.

This means that The Rings of Power season 1's total runtime was almost as long as all three theatrical editions, or two extended editions, with four more seasons to come. The unlimited time and almost-unlimited budget of The Rings of Power led it to abandon many of the advantages of a weekly television series.

This caused it to fall into an uncomfortable middle ground between TV and movies. While the Amazon series had plenty of strengths, such as Morfydd Clark's portrayal of a young Galadriel, and helped to flesh out the world of Middle-earth, it's hard to imagine it becoming an annual marathon tradition like the Lord of the Rings extended editions are for so many people.

Ultimately, the comparative failure of the super-sized Hobbit trilogy and Rings of Power streaming series shows that what made The Lord of the Rings extended editions, so beloved was not their setting or length, but rather the level of craft put into each and every scene.

The Lord Of The Rings- The Fellowship Of The Ring Poster
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the first film in Peter Jackson's critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy. The movie follows Frodo Baggins (Elijah Woods) as he is tasked with destroying the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom after he inherits the ring.

Release Date
December 19, 2001
Director
Peter Jackson
Cast
Elijah Wood , Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler , Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Sean Bean , Ian Holm , Andy Serkis
Runtime
178 Minutes
lord of the rings
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a Fantasy film by director Peter Jackson and is based on The Two Towers book by author J. R. R. Tolkien. A sequel to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, this installment continues Frodo's journey to take the One Ring to Mount Doom to destroy it.

Release Date
January 15, 2002
Director
Peter Jackson
Cast
Peter Jackson , Elijah Wood , Andy Serkis , Viggo Mortensen
Runtime
179minutes
lord of the riings
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The final installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King concludes the epic saga of the Fellowship's quest to destroy the One Ring and put an end to Sauron's reign of terror. As Frodo and Sam continue on their way to Mordor and Mount Doom, accompanied by Gollom, the rest of the Fellowship work to defend Minas Tirith from Sauron's forces. The film's ensemble cast includes Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Vigo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan. 

Release Date
December 3, 2003
Director
Peter Jackson
Cast
Elijah Wood , Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler , Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Bernard Hill , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Hugo Weaving , Miranda Otto , David Wenham , Karl Urban , John Noble , Andy Serkis , Ian Holm , Sean Bean
Runtime
210 Minutes