I'm a little hesitant to post this, mostly because even the whisper of The One
Ring coming to Blu-ray causes the most Fonz-esqe guy to geek out (maybe
the Ring is real?), but according to material found in the upcoming Blu-ray
release of '
Poltergiest' (and other upcoming Warner Blu-ray titles), at least
the first part of the Lord of the Rings will be coming to Blu-ray in 2009.
Before anyone asks, no technical specs or special features have been
announced at this time. It is unknown if the feature will be split into two
discs, or come on just one (though, with the success of Paramount fitting '
The
Godfather' onto one disc, there is hope that it will come in one piece).
We also don't know if it will be the theatrical or extended cut (or both via
seamless branching).
Needless to say, this is a very, very important release for New Line/Warner.
The films alone made billions of dollars world-wide, and have a following
almost as big as
Star Wars.
As for when we might see this release, look to Q4 2009 to take advantage of
the holiday season. Yes, that is a year away, but it gives you plenty of time to
prepare. So dust off that Gandalf hat and put on your hobbit feat, because
'
Lord of the
Rings: Fellowship of the Ring is coming to Blu-ray.