In 2024, some Lord of the Rings fans were disappointed to find that The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King's extended edition, which is considered by many to be the definitive version, had been suddenly removed from Max, the streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The extended editions of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers are still available to stream on Max, along with the theatrical versions of all three films. Social media users have expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision, with some sharing their frustration at having started the lengthy film in December, only to find it removed from the catalog when they attempted to resume watching in 2024.
Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and other popular streaming platforms all release lists of titles scheduled for removal in advance, in order to prevent users from being caught off guard when a movie or show is about to be taken down. Max also follows this practice, but surprisingly, the extended edition of Return of the King was not included in the list of titles set to leave.
Previously, Max caused a stir when it unexpectedly removed the Watchmen series in 2023 with no warning. However, this was later revealed to be an accident and the series was quickly reinstated. On the other hand, the extended edition of Return of the King has been missing from the platform since January 1st.
WBD is deliberately taking off certain titles from Max to profit by licensing them to other streaming services. While removing the entire Lord of the Rings series could be seen as a business move, it raises questions and concerns that only the extended edition of one film in the series was removed. Our Website has reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery for more information on the matter.
The Lord of the Rings movies on Max have an oddity - there are two versions of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers listed as the extended edition, with only one being the actual lengthier extended edition. Those who own The Lord of the Rings on DVD or Blu-ray can still watch the movies, and this situation may highlight the value of physical media. The entire trilogy, including extended editions, was updated to 4K in 2020.
Editor's P/S
As a devoted fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I was deeply disappointed to learn that the extended edition of Return of the King had been mysteriously removed from Max. This version is widely regarded as the definitive cut of the film, offering an unparalleled cinematic experience with its additional scenes and extended sequences. The sudden disappearance of this beloved version has left me and many other fans puzzled and frustrated.
The fact that Max did not include the extended edition of Return of the King in its list of titles scheduled for removal is particularly baffling. This lack of transparency only adds to the frustration of fans who had started watching the film during the holiday break, only to find it gone upon their return. It is essential for streaming services to communicate such changes effectively to prevent users from being caught off guard.
