[HairOfTheDog]

You know what this says to me is that PJ must deal with Saruman's demise ~only~ in the TTT EE (OR RoTK EE)... We already know that many scenes expanding on the flooding of Isenguard are in the spoilers for TTT EE.

I don't ~think~ they can close out RoTK without finishing him off, even in the theatrical versions. Only handling it in the EEs means the movie (non EE DVD) crowd never knows what happened to him?

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Only handling it in the EEs means the movie (non EE DVD) crowd never knows what happened to him?

Those are the same people who were wondering where Sam got the elven rope from in TT. If they didn't see FotR EE, then the rope, Merry & Pip's belts, Legolas' new bow...none of it would have made sense to them either.

IMO...anyone who likes the story will be compelled to see the EE of all three movies, to get the whole story.

I don't feel gyped at all, since I already know what happens, having read the novels several times.

[Lil'freeper]

I don't ~think~ they can close out RoTK without finishing him off, even in the theatrical versions.

Well, maybe they can. They set the ents to guard him and move the story elsewhere. Then they can skip the Souring of the Shire entirely and leave the audience to assume that Saruman is safely kept. A possibility, hopefully remote.

But I trust PJ'll find a way to wrap things up nicely... even if it doesn't match the books word for word.

[LinnieBeth]

Only handling it in the EEs means the movie (non EE DVD) crowd never knows what happened to him?

Good reason to read the book, might be a very good provocation.

I am however disappointed in his not attending the opening: you would think that his love of LotR would be enough to get him there.

[BradyLS]

I don't ~think~ they can close out RoTK without finishing him off, even in the theatrical versions. Only handling it in the EEs means the movie (non EE DVD) crowd never knows what happened to him?

I agree. For the crowd unfamiliar with the books and not yet desirous of the extended DVD, the Ents will come across in retrospect as an extremely convenient movie tool for checking Saruman. Lucky for Middle-Earth Merry and Pippin were able to convince them to attack Isengard!