More than two decades on from Peter Jackson‘s legendary trilogy hit the big screen, The Lord of the Rings remains in the news cycle. The evergreen fantasy film series is based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien which has entertained millions for seventy years now and still engages fans in ways unforeseen by the author in his own time.

Recently, the talk of the town has been the surprising news that Warner Bros. and New Line were working on new feature films set within Middle Earth – something of a risk, given how perfect the original trilogy was, then marred slightly by the Hobbit series. Additionally, The Rings of Power, a series unrelated to the Jackson films and set prior to the events of the novels, has been something of a success for Amazon – but still compared unfavorably to the feature films.

Thankfully, for fans yearning to head back to that big screen Middle Earth experience and see the wonders of New Zealand firsthand once more, the 20th anniversary of The Return of the King is being released in cinemas to mark the occasion. The finale of the trilogy notably became a joint-record holder at the Academy Awards by taking home 11 Oscar statuettes (tied with Ben Hur and Titanic).

The Re-Release Will Feature the Extended Version of the Movie

The film will return to cinemas on April 13th as part of a special release to celebrate two decades since its sensational release which capped off not just a cinematic miracle, but perhaps Peter Jackson’s own personal magnum opus. And what’s more, it’s going to be the extended edition of the film. The 260 minute epic version of the film, which was originally released on DVD a year after the movie’s cinematic release, will be shown in all its glory. Of all the films in the series, Return of the King benefits most from the restored footage, adding significant weight to the story – particularly for Viggo Mortensen‘s Aragorn at the Black Gates of Mordor.

The film will be playing at Regal and Cinemark theaters – more have yet to be confirmed – and Cinemark visitors will also be treated to some extra content such as an introduction from Elijah Wood, who played the lead role of Hobbit Frodo Baggins in both Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, as well as a behind-the-scenes look of the new Lord of the Rings Roleplaying tabletop game at the LA Comic Con.

Fans should keep a watchful eye on the Regal and Cinemark websites, where ticket sales are expected to begin imminently for the April 13th showings. You can see the original trailer for The Return of the King down below.

via Collider