It’s the best theatrical fantasy series ever released.  The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy.

So how much would you pay for a 30-disc edition of all six extended cuts of the Peter Jackson Middle-earth movies on Blu-ray?  Assuming you haven’t already purchased each film individually, you could buy the Blu-ray extended edition of the first trilogy–The Lord of the Rings trilogy–for less than $60 from Amazon here, and the second trilogy–The Hobbit trilogy–for less than $65 from Amazon here.  That’s about $125.

What kinds of extras would prompt you to pay $799.99 for a single release set of all six movies?  For the first time ever, such a set is coming your way soon in The Middle-earth Six-Film Collection–A Limited Collector’s Edition.  In addition to the extended edition release of all six films, the collection also includes all previously released bonus content from both the theatrical and extended editions.  So what new comes with the set if all the bonus content is on the previous releases?  Here’s what you get:

– The 30 discs are housed in six stunning faux leather books and a collectible Hobbit-style wood shelf.  The one-of-a-kind wood shelf is crafted from solid wood with design selected by Peter Jackson.
 
– Exclusive premiums designed for the collection include: · Spectacular 100-page sketch-style book with replica The Red Book of Westmarch, filled with original film sketches and new artwork · Original reproductions of exquisite watercolor paintings by acclaimed conceptual artists Alan Lee and John Howe, framable and wall-ready

The bottom line?  If you value these extras at approximately $600 or more, this boxed set is for you.  If not, you can steer back to the current individual trilogy boxed sets linked above.  Here’s more about the content of the new 30-disc boxed set from the press information for previously released content:

The Hobbit Extended Edition Trilogy features almost one hour of additional footage carefully selected under the supervision of director Peter Jackson (THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES extended edition is rated R), and more than 34 hours of theatrical and extended bonus content.  The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy features more than 2 hours of extended scenes, also selected by Jackson, and more than 33 hours of theatrical and extended bonus content.  Bonus content from The Hobbit trilogy theatrical and extended editions will be included on Blu-ray disc.  Bonus content from The Lord of the Rings trilogy theatrical and extended editions will be included on DVD disc.  Additionally, digital copies of all films in their theatrical and extended edition forms will be included for download on Digital HD.  Includes UltraViolet so you can enjoy the film on many different compatible devices.

If you dare and can afford it, you can pre-order The Middle-earth Six-Film Collection–A Limited Collector’s Edition now for a sizeable discount off the $799.99 price now ($80 off at time of publication) here at Amazon.com.  The boxed set is scheduled for release October 4, 2016.

C.J. Bunce
Editor
borg.com