Did Fellowship of the Ring Really Have an Hour Removed in the US?

[Aragorn13]

Hi, I had a question about a rumor that I heard about the Fellowship of the Ring movie, it was that they cut out about an hour in the American version. Is this true? Thank You.

 

[Greenwood]

The American version is the same as the rest of the world's. What you probably heard is that Jackson's original cut was about forty or more minutes longer than the released version. The studio told him it had to be under 3 hours long.

 

[ReadWryt]

Actually, the studio cut the footage themselves, they just asked PJ what he would suggest, but yeah...the theatrical release is the same world around...

 

[Talimon]

Both of your stories for it being under 3 hours aren't true. A while back, before the Oscars, there was a section on the official webpage with a couple paragraphs by each nominee. For editing, it said that the original cut was about 3 hours 20 minutes or so, but that it was cut down by Peter Jackson because he thought it would be too long for viewers who weren't aquainted with Tolkien.

 

[ReadWryt]

That's interesting because I had read in several places at the beginning of this project where Jackson had stated in interviews that New Line had the last say in the Final Cut and that he trusted them not to hack it up...I would be interested in reading anything where Jackson says he meant these things to be left out...

 

[PRH]

Yes, NLC had say over final cut - but the cut PJ eventually submitted was acceptable so NLC didn't do any cuts of their own.

PJ did make the final cut and it was for time based on NLC's mandate. At least that's what Barry Osborne told me.

I'm sure they made that stuff up on the official site about the cuts being for the sake of the unacquainted just to save face. Why would it end up exactly just under the 3 hour mark? Coincidence?

 

[Talimon]

If that's what you want to call it, go ahead. The stuff on the official site was a quote by one of editors, so whoever said it is holding thier name against it. And if the subject was touchy, why would they mention it in the first place? They weren't being asked any questions. They had to say something about the editing on the movie, and that's what they said. They said that some precious stuff was cut, and they said that PJ had decided to cut it. I can't help inner politics, but justified or not PJ has taken responsibility.

One thing I do know: PJ has shown more then once, in interviews and otherwise, that he has a big heart for the uninnitiated. Although I can't speak (not having seen the extended version), I'm sure the extra footage is most likely aimed at readers of the books.

 

[ReadWryt]

...I suspect that more to the point Jackson has a soft spot in his heart for Box Office Dollars that might be lost because people could be daunted by 4 hours of sitting in a theater watching something that doesn't have comercial breaks in the age of MTV...

 

[PRH]

Originally posted by Talimon
They said that some precious stuff was cut, and they said that PJ had decided to cut it.

Well, this could be a slippery way of both of our statements being true. NLC said 'you'd better cut it to 3hrs' and PJ said 'okay then, this is what we're gonna cut.'

I met Barry Osborne himself and he told me NLC required a version under 3hrs. This is more 'off the record' than a posting on the offical NLC website so I tend to believe it.