10,000 sign petition to reinstate Lee's scenes

About 10,000 Lord of the Rings fans have signed an online petition pleading with director Peter Jackson to reinstate scenes featuring British actor Christopher Lee.

Lee, 81, said last week that he was boycotting the world premiere of The Return of the King in Wellington on December 1 after learning his scenes as the wizard Saruman had been cut.

Jackson said the cuts were necessary to move the story along. Scenes with Lee would appear in an extended DVD version next year.

Herald Feature: Lord of the Rings