Peter Jackson Finally Answers if a ‘Lord of the Rings Extended-Extended Edition’ Is Real

Fans of The Lord of the Rings have long wondered if there’s an even longer version of Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy than the Extended Editions.

Rumors of a so-called “Mithril Cut” or “Extended-Extended Edition” have circulated for years, suggesting there might be unseen footage that never made it to theaters or even the extended releases.

Peter Jackson has now put those rumors to rest. Speaking to Empire for the Lord of the Rings 25th anniversary issue, Jackson said, “Are there great scenes that we never used? The answer is no. There are bits and pieces, I guess. But if you did an extended-extended cut, or whatever it will get called, it would be disappointing. It would be the extended cut with a few extra seconds of something here and there; it wouldn’t be worthwhile doing.”

Co-writer Philippa Boyens confirmed there isn’t much extra footage to dig through. “There was that, it was in Lothlórien,” she said, referring to a scene with a young Aragorn during his courtship with Arwen. “But there’s not a lot. There really isn’t.”

While fans won’t be getting an even longer cut of the trilogy, Jackson hinted there’s potential for a different kind of release. He teased the idea of a Lord of the Rings mega-documentary. “The footage contains alternative takes, it contains bloopers, it contains a bit more of a sense of the mechanics of making the films,” he said. “But to this day, I haven’t persuaded [the studio], because obviously it’s a big undertaking.”

Meanwhile, Jackson and his longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are moving forward with new projects in Middle-earth.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav confirmed that the trio will produce a new Lord of the Rings film titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, set to release in 2027. Andy Serkis will direct, and the screenplay is written by Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou. The film is the first installment in a new live-action Lord of the Rings series developed under New Line Cinema, with production centered in Wellington, New Zealand.

It looks like the days of searching for a secret “Extended-Extended Edition” are over according to Jackson, but Middle-earth fans still have new adventures to look forward to.

It’s a relief to have clarity on the so-called Mithril Cut. While it would have been fun to see more unseen scenes, Jackson’s idea of a documentary exploring the making of the trilogy sounds fascinating. What do you think about it? Would you rather see a longer version of the movies or a behind-the-scenes documentary? Share your thoughts in the comments.