A 240+ minute movie

[Lúthien Séregon]

I've heard that RotK is going to be over 4 hours in length. :D Previously I had heard that it would be 3 1/2 hours - which do you think would be better, a 4 hour or a closer to 3 hour film?

Personally, I think the 4 hour film would be better because more of the story could be told that way.

[Remnant]

31/2- or 3 hrs. and 40 minutes is oK ..... :)

Especially with all the scenes they have to fix from TTT, and all the favorite scenes we fans want, he can go as long as he wants. :)

I teased someone the other day that he will need another movie for the weddings and funerals ... : )

[Mirabella]

Over four hours long? Good lord...I had better stop all liquids at noon that day!:D

Where did you hear that, Luthien? I would be very surprised if we got a four hour TROTK. I am hoping and praying we get a 3 1/2 hour TROTK, because PJ has an awful lot of material to cover and I want him to be able to do it justice.

[Niniel]

They can't make it more than 3 and a half hours.. non-Tolkien-fans will start running out of the theatre before the end. I wouldn't mind watching 10 hours of LOTR, but New Line has to take other people into consideration.

[Talimon]

I was going to say that a 3 1/2 hour movie would be extremely rare on it's own, let alone a 4 hour film. But then I noticed that this little Civil War film that is opening soon is 255 minutes long. You've probably seen the previews for it. It's called Gods and Generals. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it's running time. They say it might even have (gulp) an intermission. I think the last movie to have an intermission was Gahndi, and that was in 1982.


True, it's a Civil War film. But if it can get away with being over one hour longer then TTT, I don't see why RotK can't manage just 30 or 40 extra minutes.

[PRH]

Originally posted by Talimon
But then I noticed that this little Civil War film that is opening soon is 255 minutes long. You've probably seen the previews for it. It's called Gods and Generals. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard it's running time. They say it might even have (gulp) an intermission. I think the last movie to have an intermission was Gahndi, and that was in 1982.
No way! That's incredible! 4 hours 15 minutes?! Well, that's a definite precedent for ROTK. I bet there will be some attention paid to polling the audience as to whether ROTK can afford a long runtime.

And yes, I believe Ghandi was the last film to have an intermission (I don't remember one since). I remember waking up for that intermission (I was only 6 or 7 years old..why did my parents have to drag me to Ghandi?). I do remember intermissions for other movies since, but they were all reissues of older movies (Godfather, Lawrence of Arabia), so they don't really count.

[Thorin]

Originally posted by PRH
And yes, I believe Ghandi was the last film to have an intermission (I don't remember one since). I remember waking up for that intermission (I was only 6 or 7 years old..why did my parents have to drag me to Ghandi?). I do remember intermissions for other movies since, but they were all reissues of older movies (Godfather, Lawrence of Arabia), so they don't really count.

Actually, Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1994) was over 4 hours in length and did have an intermission in it that I remember.

Quoted by Niniel
They can't make it more than 3 and a half hours.. non-Tolkien-fans will start running out of the theatre before the end. I wouldn't mind watching 10 hours of LOTR, but New Line has to take other people into consideration.

Do you really think at this point, NLC is really concerned? They've made..what? Over $500 million profit (or more) just on the first two movies alone? I think the last movie will be for the fans and will need the time to wrap things up. By this time, money is not really an issue (other than for greed's sake).

[MacAddict]

If its closer to the book i'll gladly take 4hrs or more for a runtime! Besides if ya don't bring a 60oz drink you shouldn't have any problems;) .


~MacAddict

[Wynston]

I'd love a four hour RoTK! I think that 3 to 3 1/2 hours is more realistically what we're going to get though.

Gettysburg, which was made some years back using some of the same cast as Gods and Generals, was about 4 hours as well. It didn't have an intermission. Being a Civil War and history buff, I had not problem sitting through it! (actually I saw it in the theater twice, the second time to help my wife write a history paper) The fact that it was a really good movie didn't hurt. I've been looking forward to and planning on going to see Gods and Generals for some time. It is actually, in timeline, a precursor to Gettysburg I believe.

[Jesse]

I prefer the 4 hour version. The story then could be told accurately VS the 3 1/2 hour movie. The 4 hour version would be longer yes, but it'd tell more of the story.

[PRH]

Originally posted by Thorin
Do you really think at this point, NLC is really concerned? They've made..what? Over $500 million profit (or more) just on the first two movies alone? I think the last movie will be for the fans and will need the time to wrap things up. By this time, money is not really an issue (other than for greed's sake).
That's ridiculous - of course NLC is going to try to gouge everything they can out of ROTK. ROTK is another opportunity for making huge gobs of cash and I think they'll treat it as such. If they deem a certain run-time is too risky for their profits I'm sure their nix it.

[Talimon]

Originally posted by PRH
That's ridiculous - of course NLC is going to try to gouge everything they can out of ROTK. ROTK is another opportunity for making huge gobs of cash and I think they'll treat it as such. If they deem a certain run-time is too risky for their profits I'm sure their nix it.


I think the point is that they have a very strong fan-base out there. They can afford to make a longer movie. Not because they don't want to make money, but because they don't believe it will seriously affect sales. Everyone who is a semi-serious fan will see the movie just as many times regardless. And anyone who isn't particularly a fan would see the movie once, regardless. So I don't see how it would make a difference. If anything, one could argue that the only major difference would be that fans might actually see it more times then they otherwise would. This isn't like the first or even second movie, where they were still trying to get first-timers. By now there are those who will see RotK and there are those who won't. The run-time won't have a serious impact, I believe. Look at the Star Wars films. They are a good 20-30 minutes shorter then FotR and TTT. And yet TTT has sold better then Episode II. Not because of it's run-time, but because more people are seeing it.

On the other hand, they might want the awards. Having a longer and better movie could make a big difference. I don't know how much they really care about awards, but maybe.

Or it could just be that they made a deal with PJ. Maybe they told him, "FotR and TTT have to be three hours at most, but if they do well then we'll let you go longer on RotK." That wouldn't entirely surprise me. In any film there are a whole lot of negotiations between the film-makers and the studio.

[Arvedui]

And of course, there is the fact that a lot of people have seen the first two films, so that New Line don't jhave to care about the length of the movie anymore: They know that most of us will see TROTK anyway. How many people don't car about the ending of a good film, but leaves the theatres after 2/3 of the movie?

I don't.

[Lúthien Séregon]

Where did you hear that, Luthien? I would be very surprised if we got a four hour TROTK. I am hoping and praying we get a 3 1/2 hour TROTK, because PJ has an awful lot of material to cover and I want him to be able to do it justice.

I heard it announced on a local radio station ( though I'm not sure where they got the information from ). All of my friends were talking about it the morning it was announced.

Or it could just be that they made a deal with PJ. Maybe they told him, "FotR and TTT have to be three hours at most, but if they do well then we'll let you go longer on RotK." That wouldn't entirely surprise me. In any film there are a whole lot of negotiations between the film-makers and the studio.

Apparently that's actually the truth - there were restrictions on FotR and TTT to be under 3 hours long, but no such restriction was placed on RotK.

[Arvedui]

If you are right about this, I am REALLY looking forwards to december.

And how about the TROTK Extended Edition DVD?:eek: :D

[Mirabella]

I would love to see a longer TROTK, too. *keeping fingers crossed*

[PRH]

I agree that the long run time being a risk of putting people off is smaller given the success of the first two -- but the hard truth is that long run times allow fewer show times. People need the opportunity to get a seat, and options of when to go.

[Jesse]

What if there was an intermisssion? That'd work.......

[PRH]

That would only cut into the maximum number of showtimes even more (though a ~4 hour movie without an intermission would be almost unconscionable).

[Talimon]

According to some spy from the www.theonering.net , PJ has 6 hours of footage he is looking through. Seen in that light, a 4 hour cut would still have 2 hours missing. Wow.

[Kiroshar]

Originally posted by Talimon
According to some spy from the www.theonering.net , PJ has 6 hours of footage he is looking through. Seen in that light, a 4 hour cut would still have 2 hours missing. Wow.


I noticed that too. Although the first cut is often much longer than the final release, there will be much cutting to do to even make a four hour final cut. I suspect New Line would like to pare that down even more than that.

Maybe having the introduction of Shelob in The Two Towers would have been a good idea.

The bad news is that at least 1/3 of the filmed footage that made the first cut will end up on the cutting room floor. That will make The Return Of The King feel much more edited and rushed like The Two Towers theatrical release was much more than The Fellowship Of The Ring.

The good news is that much of the first cut could be added back on an extended edition DVD and even more on any ultimated edition that would not likely come out for several years.

There is still footage from the first cuts of TFOTR and TTT that did not, and will not respectively, make it into the EE DVD's but could be added back in an ultimate edition as well. That would make a grand total of 13-14 hours of running time in the end.

What is not certain is if New Line and PJ have the time to go ahead with a future ultimate edition release. The big questions are if they really want to do it and if there are enough LOTR fans that would purchase such a release on the heels of the EE DVD releases.

My speculation would be that New Line and PJ would consider this project for a 10th anniversary release rather than an immediate follow up to the EE releases.

That would mean December 2011 as a target and likely a high definition transfer to blue laser DVD's. A re-release in 720p or 1080i would be due anyway, so why not finish the project with an ultimate release. Of course, this is all for future consideration.

At this time, PJ has to either figure out which 1/3 of the first cut will not make the final release or how much New Line wants to put Return Of The King in the theaters in two parts. I wonder if having four films would even be considered. I think not, but one never knows.

[Frodogirl57]

i prefer the four hour version better than the 3 1/2 hour version. PJ will be able to tell a lot more of the story. Some of the story he should have shown in TTT if he hadn't made that darned helm's deep scene so long


" SING ALL YE PEOPLE!!"


Frodogirl

[Lúthien Séregon]

I noticed that too. Although the first cut is.....
Return Of The King in the theaters in two parts. I wonder if having four films would even be considered. I think not, but one never knows.


Hmmm...intriguing about the 10th anniversary editions of LotR, I'm assuming though that by then practically every single fan of the movies would have either the DVD, video or EE of all 3 films.

[lotrobsession4]

I say with LotR the longer, the better!! The more action and book we can get into it, the happier I am! Make it 5 hrs for all I care. I doubt PJ will be allowed to make it much longer than 3 1/2 hrs tho... :(

[Daniel]

I think it should be 3.5 hours. 4 would be fine by me, but I think it would be to long for the general audience. 3.5 is already a very long film, and any more would be to long.

[Hawkblaze]

I know I'd sit through a 4 hour ROTK. Bring it on! The longer the better!

By the way, anyone who makes a movie shorter just to be in the awards race should be shot.

[angelevenstarel]

I have been waiting for the day that a god would a 4 hour long movie! Thanx guys!

[ladyoflorien]

yes! i say the longer the better as well! i can't get enough of the LOTR movies! i always walk out of the theater wanting more! i don't care if its six hours! i think out of 3.5 hours and 4 i would say for because he will be able to fit more of the book in. to bad for the people with weak bladders! :D i never bring pop or drink anything before FOTR or TTT because i don't wanna miss one second of it! I think however long the movie is, it's gonna kick major booty!

[Valdarmyr]

Originally posted by Thorin
Do you really think at this point, NLC is really concerned? They've made..what? Over $500 million profit (or more) just on the first two movies alone? I think the last movie will be for the fans and will need the time to wrap things up. By this time, money is not really an issue (other than for greed's sake).

I totally agree, Thorin. They've made plenty of dough on the first two films, so they can afford to do what they want and make the third longer. (My guess is it'll probably end up making at least as money as either of the first two anyway!) As you say, there's so much story left to get in, they'll need extra time to lavish attention on a number of scenes. I'll add my vote for four hours or even four hours fifteen minutes!

[PRH]

FYI - Gods and Generals (3 hours 43 minutes) does have an intermission, so we have a recent precedent for this sort of thing. I think if ROTK exceeds 3 1/2 it'll require an intermission. 3 hours is already pushing it. As mentioned before, Gandhi had one at only 3 hours 8 minutes (but that was 1982, times have changed in the theater business). In 1997 Titanic at 3 hours 15 minutes did not have one.

Also, look at it from the theaters' POV. I'm sure they'd love to sacrifice 10 minutes in such a long movie so people will buy more concessions. Then there's the people who would otherwise not buy a drink for fear of not wanting to leave the theater to relieve themselves for whom an intermission would change their buying decision.

[HobbitFeet]

Hell, it's either school or RoTK on opening day. I hope the movie's a full 7 hours long with 2 intermissions in which they give out free peanuts. Though I suppose free mushrooms would be more appropriate. But who in their right mind would take free mushrooms?! Not me. Nooosiireeeee. :p

[Elf Goddess]

To bad my sister cann't watch it!yes!

[lotrobsession4]

lol HobbitFeet~ I really want to get out of school to go see RotK opening day. If the movie starts at like 3pm you'd have to get there at like 12 to get a good seat!! my friend went to see TTT this year opening day 3:15 showing and left school at about 11am!! that would be sooo much fun! cant wait for RotK!! the longer the better!:D :p