Peter Jackson Says He'll Never Release a Lord of the Rings 'Extended-Extended Cut,' So RIP to My Dreams of Seeing Arwen Fighting at Helm's Deep

Lord of the Rings manager Peter Jackson has said helium volition ne'er merchandise an "extended-extended cut" of the trilogy contempt inactive having "bits and pieces" near to add.

While the trilogy's Extended Editions adhd hours of other material, fans person agelong known that adjacent much was changeable and ne'er released — and person remained hopeful of an adjacent longer, eventual chopped yet seeing the airy of day.

Unfortunately, speaking with Empire, Jackson has present ruled this out. Despite acknowledging that "bits and pieces" of unused footage exist, a afloat re-release of the films with this successful would conscionable "be disappointing," the manager has said.

"Are determination large scenes that we ne'er used? The reply is no," Jackson said. "There are bits and pieces, I guess. But if you did an extended-extended cut, oregon immoderate it volition get called, it would beryllium disappointing.

"It would beryllium the extended chopped with a fewer other seconds of thing present and there. It wouldn’t beryllium worthwhile doing."

Famously, Arwen was erstwhile acceptable to diagnostic successful The Two Towers' large combat series astatine Helm's Deep, and histrion Liv Tyler changeable scenes dressed successful conflict regalia. Ultimately, the plotline was chopped arsenic it would person deviated excessively acold from the archetypal story, and the footage has ne'er officially been released.

Further chopped Arwen footage included a flashback country showing her gathering with Aragorn, giving viewers a accidental to spot Viggo Mortensen without a beard.

Other chopped scenes see a series wherever Lothlórien is attacked by orcs, primitively intended for Fellowship of the Ring, and shots of Éowyn warring Uruk-hai successful the Glittering Caves, trimmed from The Two Towers. And yes, the notoriously-long epilogue from Return of the King was erstwhile adjacent longer, with scenes showing Legolas and Gimli, arsenic good arsenic the wedding of Éowyn and Faramir.

Could immoderate of this footage inactive beryllium released somehow, adjacent arsenic not portion of a new, extended-extended cut? On this, Jackson sounded much hopeful, saying he'd similar to revisit the making of the trilogy 1 time successful a caller documentary that could incorporate unused material. "But to this day, I haven't persuaded [the studio], due to the fact that evidently it's a large undertaking," helium concluded.

Jackson is returning to Middle-earth arsenic a shaper connected the upcoming The Lord of the Rings prequel The Hunt for Gollum, which is owed for merchandise adjacent twelvemonth connected December 17, 2027. Frodo histrion Elijah Wood — who looks apt to reprise his relation connected the task — antecedently praised the movie for reuniting Jackson Jackson with his Middle-earth scriptwriting squad Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, arsenic good arsenic Gollum histrion Andy Serkis, who is acceptable to some prima successful and nonstop the film.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social