Best Buy is teasing the availability of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray editions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, including exclusive steelbooks, as seen in the photo of the former seen above. The release date is listed as December 1, 2020.

There are three listings on Best Buy's site currently:

• The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy [SteelBook] [Includes Digital Copy] [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray] [Only @ Best Buy] - $119.99
• The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy [SteelBook] [Includes Digital Copy] [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray] [Only @ Best Buy] - $149.99
• The Hobbit: The Motion Picture Trilogy [SteelBook] [Includes Digital Copy] [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray] [Only @ Best Buy] - $119.99

There's no differentiation between the first two items, so it's either a mistake or the more expensive version might have something additional included.

There isn't an official announcement from Warner Bros. yet, so the image above may be a placeholder or preliminary image, but the HDR logo can be seen on the discs, along with a designation of "Theatrical and Extended Movies" which indicates the presence of both editions. No standard High Definition Blu-ray discs are shown, and the labelling only indicates the presence of 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital Code.

Update: Amazon now has listings for two LOTR sets and one for The Hobbit movies, albeit without release dates yet:

The Lord of the Rings: Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended & Theatrical)(4K Ultra HD + Digital) - $89.99

This graphic shows that two of the three discs for each movie are the Extended Edition, with the remaining disc storing the Theatrical Edition.

The Lord of the Rings: Motion Picture Trilogy Giftset (Extended & Theatrical)(4K Ultra HD + Digital) - $139.99

This set appears to be include some kind of replica of the "one ring" set piece, as well as a parchment-colored map of Middle Earth on the inside cover.

The Hobbit: Motion Picture Trilogy (Extended & Theatrical)(4K Ultra HD + Digital) - $89.99

Each movie is shown to have two discs, one each for the theatrical and extended editions.

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Update from The Digital Bits:

The Digital Bits is reporting today that all six movies will include Dolby Vision and HDR10, as well as Dolby Atmos audio.

They are also reporting that a 6-movie "Ultimate Collectors' Edition will be available in Summer 2021:

“In addition, it was also announced that a 4K UHD Middle-earth Ultimate Collectors’ Edition featuring the theatrical and extended versions of all six films, along with new bonus content, previously released Blu-ray discs of The Hobbit Trilogy, and remastered Blu-ray discs of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will be released in the summer of 2021. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy featuring remastered Blu-ray discs of the theatrical and extended versions of the 3 films will also be released in the fourth quarter 2021, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”

The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies has been released in multiple forms on DVD and Blu-ray, and fans (myself included) have eagerly purchased them. Even though The Hobbit movies aren't regarded as highly, any serious fan cannot pass on the opportunity to revisit Middle Earth, while ignoring any annoyances that the movies represent. That makes these trilogies ideal releases for a studio looking to maximize their return on movies in their catalog, so it's a win-win situation for all involved.

It appears that I'll have to put my family on notice that I'll be charging admission for Thanksgiving this year so I can save up for December 1, but at least I'll also promise that they'll eat like Hobbits!

Steelbooks image by Best Buy. Other images by Amazon