Last October, we reported that a UHD upgrade was happening for Peter Jackson’s two trilogies. Well, as most know, 2020 didn’t go exactly as planned and many things have been delayed or canceled. The good news is that the 4K remastering is still underway. The bad news is that this project joins a long list of those being pushed back to a later release. Bill Hunt, of The Digital Bits, has reported on this latest delay straight from his sources involved in the massive undertaking.
The issue with the Middle Earth titles is that while 4K remastering is well under way by Weta in New Zealand, and the overall production effort has ramped up considerably since we last reported on it here at The Bits earlier this year (and since our report from October of last year), as of this month the project is only about half complete.
As of yet, Warner Bros. has not even officially announced information regarding the UHD remasters. However, it is still believed that this collection will contain both the theatrical and extended versions for all six films. The latest update actually came from last month. Even if halfway done, then it would be highly improbable it could be completed in time for a holiday release. In either case, fans of the movies should expect a spectacular release from the great care being put into these remasters.