If you’re a Lord of the Rings movie fan (and hey, what geek isn’t?), probably the best DVD release of the series is about to happen.

A four-disc Platinum Series “Special Extended Edition” of the Return of the King (a Platinum special edition collector set version is also available) will be released with a shipping date of December 14th, with many additional scenes chosen by the director – There’s 50 minutes of new footage and 20+ hours (yes, hours) of bonus materials. That means the feature movie is 250 minutes long and pressed onto two DVD discs. Two additional DVDs, called “The Appendices,” contain tons of behind-the-scenes and complimentary content and documentaries.

A new online trailer gives a sneak preview of some of the additions, along with commentary by the director and actors.

Buy it online if you want to get a head-start:

(via GeekRoar)