Due to popular demand: 1st 'Lord of the Rings' film to screen anew in PH

MANILA, Philippines, January 29 ------ The extended edition of "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is returning to Philippine theaters for another weekend. Warner Bros., which now owns the franchise's original distributor New Line Cinema, previously announced that all "Lord of the Rings" movies would hit theaters this January 2026 in celebration of the 25 years since the movies first hit the big screen.

The Philippines' largest cinema chain, SM Cinemas, screened the extended edition of "Fellowship" — the first film in the trilogy — in select theaters last January 23 to 25.Such was the immense reception for the screenings that the cinema chain announced another round for the final weekend of January. "Relive every extra moment, every deeper bond, every legendary step of the journey... This is the return fans waited for!" said the cinema chain on social media.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Extended Edition" will screen in the following cinemas from January 30 to February 1:

• SM Aura

• SM City Bacoor

• SM CDO Downtown

• SM City Cebu

• SM City Dasmarinas

• SM City East Ortigas

• SM City Fairview

• SM City Lanang

• SM Mall of Asia

• SM City Marikina

• SM Megamall

• SM North EDSA

• SM City Pampanga

• SM Seaside City Cebu

• SM Southmall

The theatrical release of "Fellowship" is 178 minutes, whereas the extended version has an additional 30 minutes of footage. The franchise is based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien set in the fictional land of Middle-earth, where the Dark Lord Sauron seeks to return to power by reclaiming his One Ring. "Fellowship" details the beginning of the journey to destroy the Ring, now in the hands of hobbit Frodo Baggins, from the quietness of the Shire to the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor.

During its original run, "Fellowship" earned $887.8 million (P52.6 billion) at the box office against a budget of $93 million (P5.51 billion). It received acclaim from both audiences and critics for its faithfulness to Tolkien's story. The film is also considered a landmark in filmmaking. It earned 13 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, winning four categories. After its release, it was followed by sequels "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" in subsequent years (although all films were shot at the same time).

Source: philstar.com