The screenings were announced this week as part of the lead-up to the Blu-ray and Digital HD release of The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies Extended Edition, which will be available later this year. It will be the first time the extended editions of each film have been shown in theaters.
Much like the extended editions of Jackson’s trilogy of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the extended editions of The Hobbit movies each contain between 13-25 minutes of additional footage and original music that were excised from the original, theatrical cuts of the films. A special introduction from Jackson will accompany the screening of each film.
Scheduled to kick off at 7:30pm local time at each screening location, the films will be presented at various theaters around the U.S. between October 5-13. The specific screening dates for each film are as follows:
October 5 – The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition
October 7 – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition
October 13 – The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition
Set nearly 60 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit chronicled the adventures of mild-mannered hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he is swept up in a quest to recover a group of dwarves’ lost treasure hoard and finds himself battling giant spiders, angry trolls, and the terrifying dragon Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). The trilogy was nominated for seven Academy Awards.
You can get more information about the screenings of the extended editions and purchase tickets at the website for Fathom Events.
