Middle-Earth Extended Edition Trilogies Collection Revealed (Updated x2)

If you are a die-hard fan of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies and do not mind buying yet another copy of the movies, then you might be interested in this news. A post on Amazon.com has revealed the existence of the Middle-Earth Collector's Edition that will re-release the extended editions of all six movies in new packaging. The collection will contain 30 Blu-ray discs (5 for each movie) that will contain the exact same movies (theatrical and extended) along with the same extensive behind-the-scenes documentary (called The Appendixes) and other featurettes that remain the gold standard of extra features. There is no indication of new special features (but then this release has not been officially announced either).

There are two differences between this release and previous releases. The minor one is the digital copy codes will be for Ultraviolet only and not iTunes. The real attraction though is the packaging. From the description, the movies will be "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." In addition there will be a "spectacular 100-page sketch-style book with replica The Red Book of Westmarch, filled with original film sketches and new artwork" along with "original reproductions of exquisite watercolor paintings by acclaimed conceptual artists Alan Lee and John Howe, framable and wall-ready."

The listed release date is November 1, 2016 at a whopping $800. If order from Amazon get it a month early on October 4 instead. When first heard about this my guess at the price was $150 ($20 per movie plus cost of the wooden case and fake leather) so I am hoping this is just an error on someone's part or set high until the official announcement comes. To me the real shame isn't just the price but that this "Complete" collection failed to include the music for each movie. If you do decide to risk the price tag, please buy from this link so the site gets credit.

Update: Warner Bros. has officially announced the box set and the $800 is true. It looks really nice but I can't recommend anyone spend that kind of money for what is ultimately around $100 in Blu-rays (going by the typical sale prices of the extended edition sets) and $50 of fake leather and wood material that probably cost a tiny fraction to acquire and make. They are also selling a 6-disc blu-ray box set of the theatrical versions of the film. Basically what seemed like cool news turned into something shrug worthy at most due to excessive cost. Full details in the press release below. If you are willing to spend the money, click these links so site gets some Amazon credit for the purchases:
30-Disc Middle-Earth Limited Edition Collector's Edition ($719.99) | Middle-Earth 6 Film Theatrical Collection ($56.69)

Update 2:> Added video of Dominic Monaghan looking over the box set. It really is nice looking, just not $800 of nice. Again, if plan on buying use links above as I would really appreciate it.

Burbank, Calif., August 19, 2016 – Fans of Middle-earth will have the opportunity to re-live the entire collection of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films, from Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson1, when the two epic trilogies are released as a single collection on Blu-ray™ and DVD on November 1st from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE). From New Line Cinema, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, and WBHE this new collection will be offered in two different versions: The Limited Collector’s Edition and The Theatrical Versions Collection.

The Limited Collector’s Edition includes 30 discs featuring The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, in their extended edition forms housed in six faux leather books and a collectible Hobbit-style wood shelf. In addition, all previously released bonus content from both the theatrical and extended edition releases will be included in the collection. Also included in the collection are premium collectibles including an exclusive 100-page sketch-style book with replica The Red Book of Westmarch, and two original reproductions of watercolor paintings by acclaimed conceptual artists Alan Lee and John Howe.

The Theatrical Versions collection features The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, in their theatrical forms as a 6-disc Blu-ray™ or DVD set.

The Middle-earth 6-Film Limited Collector’s Edition will be available on November 1 as a 30-disc set for $799.99 SRP . The Limited Collector’s Edition includes all six films on Blu-ray™ disc in their extended edition forms. 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. The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy features more than 2 hours of extended scenes that were carefully selected under the supervision of director Peter Jackson, and more than 33 hours of theatrical and extended bonus content. The Hobbit Extended Edition Trilogy features almost one hour of additional footage, also selected by Jackson (The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies extended edition is rated R), and more than 34 hours of theatrical and extended bonus content. Additionally, digital copies of all films in their theatrical and extended edition forms will be included for download on Digital HD.

The Middle-earth 6-Film Collection Theatrical Versions will be available on November 1 as a 6-disc Blu-ray™ set for $68.99 SRP and DVD for $35.99 SRP. Fans can also own the Middle-earth 6-Film Collection Theatrical Versions via purchase from digital retailers.