THE RETURN OF THE KING, the third and final film in Peter Jackson's THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, finds Middle-earth on the cusp of great change. Weary hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) venture further into the dark realm of Mordor, guided by the increasingly desperate Gollum (Andy Serkis), the two-faced former owner of the Ring that Frodo must destroy in the fires of Mount Doom. Meanwhile Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) contend with the deranged ruler Denethor (John Noble) at the once-mighty city of Minas Tirith, as Merry (Dominic Monaghan) joins Éowyn (Miranda Otto) and the Riders of Rohan to hold back the forces of Sauron. Amidst the chaos, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) must rise to his destiny, aided by Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) in assembling allies for a massive battle that will decide the fate of Middle-earth.

With RETURN, Jackson brings J.R.R. Tolkien's world-renowned tale to a stunning conclusion. As with THE TWO TOWERS, the director deftly weaves various storylines together in one remarkable scene after another. Spectacular visuals complement Jackson's sharp focus on the characters and their emotional battles. While the special effects help to create huge battles and frightening creatures on a previously unseen scale, they never outshine the excellent ensemble of actors who bring the heart of the story home. A truly astounding work of filmmaking, THE RETURN OF THE KING skillfully concludes one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history.

Theatrical Release: December 17, 2003

DVD Features:

Region (unknown)
Keep Case
Widescreen 2.39
Audio:
Dolby Surround 2.0 English
Dolby Surround EX 5.1
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary
Additional Scenes
Documentaries

Elijah Wood: American actor
Viggo Mortensen: American Actor
Ian McKellen: British Actor/Screenwriter
Sean Astin: Actor, THE GOONIES/RUDY
Billy Boyd: Actor; "Peregrin Took" of THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)
Dominic Monaghan: Actor, LORD OF THE RINGS, LOST
Miranda Otto: Australian Actress
Orlando Bloom: Actor, LORD OF THE RINGS (2001)
John Rhys-Davies: British Actor
Andy Serkis: British actor, LORD OF THE RINGS series (2001-2003)
Bernard Hill: British Actor
John Noble: Actor, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)
David Wenham: 
Liv Tyler: Actress, model, THE STRANGERS, THE INCREDIBLE HULK (2008)
Hugo Weaving: Australian Actor/ Agent Smith in THE MATRIX
Karl Urban: Actor, THE PRICE OF MILK (2001)
Cate Blanchett: Australian Actress
Marton Csokas: 
Ian Holm: British actor, THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001)

Peter Jackson: New Zealand-born director, LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy

Barrie M. Osborne: Producer
Fran Walsh: Producer, LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP (2001)
Peter Jackson: New Zealand-born director, LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy

Rick Porras: Associate Producer, LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP (2001)
Jamie Selkirk: Editor, KING KONG (2005)

Fran Walsh: Producer, LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP (2001)
Philippa Boyens: Screenwriter, LORD OF THE FLIES (2001)
Peter Jackson: New Zealand-born director, LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy

Howard Shore: 

"...Peter Jackson has created the mack daddy of all movie fantasies, and RETURN OF THE KING brings the film version of Tolkien's trilogy to a combustibly exciting close..."
"...The conclusion of Peter Jackson's masterwork is passionate and literate, detailed and expansive..."
"[K]ING is a meticulous and prodigious vision made by a director who was not hamstrung by heavy use of computer special-effects imagery."
"As a model for how to bring substance, authenticity and insight to the biggest of adventure yarns, this trilogy will not soon, if ever, find its equal."
"[T]he third film propels the work into the stratosphere of classic movies. Key characters are enhanced, new civilizations visited and battles fought more intensely, even as feelings and motivations are plumbed more deeply and movingly."
"RETURN OF THE KING dispatches its characters to their destinies with a grand and eloquent confidence. This is the best of the three..."