Admirers of manly actor Sean Bean will rejoice, if somewhat briefly, when the three-hour, 43-minute extended cut of last year's No. 2 box-office hit The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers reaches shelves in a four-DVD collection on Nov. 18. One of the year's most-anticipated DVD releases is timed to the release Dec. 17 of The Return of the King, the final film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy trilogy.

USA TODAY got an early preview in Wellington, New Zealand, last week at director Peter Jackson's private screening room. Though a two-DVD set with the original three-hour Towers arrives on shelves Aug. 26, Rings completists will find plenty of fresh Middle-earth fodder in the longer version.

Bean's ring-craving Boromir, slain at the end of 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring, is resurrected in a lengthy DVD flashback after brother Faramir (David Wenham) finds a boat bearing his body. Not only is there more Bean to savor, but the twisted emotional ties that ensnare ruler Denethor (New Zealand actor John Noble, who officially joins the cast in King), his favorite son, Boromir, and scapegoat Faramir also are exposed. The scenes also help explain why the noble Faramir is rather rude when he meets heroic hobbits Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin).

For other DVD additions to the middle tale that heighten the drama and lighten the mood, head over to USA TODAY for the entire scoop.