Sean Astin Announces ‘Lord of the Rings,’ ‘Hobbit’ Films Get 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Release

Jordan Moreau
·2 min read
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“Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” fans will be able to see Middle Earth like never before.

The legendary fantasy movies from director Peter Jackson are now getting the 4K ultra high-definition Blu-ray treatment.

Announced by “Lord of the Rings” star Sean Astin, a.k.a. Samwise Gamgee himself, the buffed-up movies will be available on Dec. 1.

“I was privileged to play Samwise Gamgee in the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, and I’m excited today to announce that Warner Bros. will be releasing the ‘Hobbit’ trilogy and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy on 4K UHD on December 1st for the first time,” he said in a video on Wednesday. “Now, because it’s in 4K UHD, you know it’s going to be the most incredible home-viewing experience possible.”

Astin also touched on his time working on the films alongside fellow stars Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Dominic Monaghan and Ian McKellen.

“Peter Jackson oversaw the remastering himself. And I can say that working with Peter was the adventure of a lifetime. And the friendships that I made will last forever. Enjoy!” Astin added.

“The Lord of the Rings” films are some of the most successful and popular high fantasy movies of all time. The trilogy is one of cinema’s highest-grossing franchises ever, with nearly $3 billion earned at the worldwide box office. The movies earned 17 Academy Awards out of 30 nominations. Amazon bought the rights to adapt the “Lord of the Rings” franchise into a TV series for $250 million, making it one of the most expensive shows ever. Production on the show was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it is expected to release in 2021.

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