The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Extended Edition (November 4th, 2013) Pre-orders

[Buddy Ackerman]

Originally Posted by Buzz201

Yes, it's likely, but if the pricepoint is too low, EiV might not do it. Especially if it stops them charging £30/40 for the EE boxset of LOTR...

And it would depend on how their deal works. The Weinstein Company films are (or at least were) sold in packages rather than an overall output deal, so the deal could vary per block of films. If it was a first look deal or under a different contract to Blade/Final Destination the rights could lie with EiV for a long time...

I think you're overestimating EiV as a company and how much they can fiight Warners if they wanted to put out a boxset Besides which, there's no real reason for them to fight them.

I know what you're saying but I think it's overdramatising a situation that we both know deep down - from past, similar releases - will turn out fine. If EiV still have the rights (and I doubt they will as all New Line films from before, during and after the LOTR period have had 10 year contracts so there's no reason why LOTR will be any different, despite how big a hit it turned out to be) then Warners paying them their standard royalties to release them would be money for nothing for them. There is no logical reason why they'd say no - they're a tiny company, do you think they'd turn down Warners money? Or risk pricing themselves out of it? Even taking your point of the LOTR EE boxsets - they're going for £25 in HMV now, how low do you think they'll be by then? A re-release like this revitalises people's interest and puts more money in their pocket than a 4 year old boxset will be doing so at that point. Again, they bowed to Warners on when and how to release the theatrical and extended eidtion boxsets. So far they've worked together. There's nothing to suggest this will be anything different.

We won't find out for another couple of years (although if we start seeing WB LOTR discs next year then that may answer it) but I honestly think your line of reasoning is more of a what if/worse case scenario that won't come to pass.