The Ultimate Guide to Watching The Lord of the Rings Movies in Order

Despite being one of the most popular fantasy series ever written, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies can be viewed in a variety of ways. In his original fantasy books, J.R.R. Tolkien follows a wide selection of people living in Middle-earth as they fight evil forces that threaten their universe, including humans, elves, dwarfs, and Hobbits. These films are based on his work.

Due to the separation of time periods in Peter Jackson’s two trilogies, viewers now have the opportunity to choose their preferred way of experiencing this story. Both Lord of the Rings viewing orders (release order and chronological order) have their advantages and disadvantages, as they unveil information at varying moments and impact the effectiveness of certain plot twists and surprises. Furthermore, the recent release of The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video has added further complexity to the already non-linear cinematic timeline.

How Many Lord Of The Rings Movies Are There?

There Are Currently Eight Lord Of The Rings Movies

A total of eight movies have been adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth books. This includes three The Lord of the Rings films and three The Hobbit films, set before them in the cinematic timeline. The first movie, directed by Ralph Bakshi, was an animated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings released in 1978. In 1980, a second animated film based on The Return of the King was released by Rankin-Bass. More recently, Peter Jackson’s modern series began with his LOTR trilogy in the early 2000s.

A new live-action series, the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim movie, and Amazon’s Rings of Power season 2 are among Warner Bros.’ plans for LotR movies.

Order of the LOTR and Hobbit movies (by release date)

What Is The Best Way To Watch Lord Of The Rings Movies?

Seeing The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit in the order in which they were released is the best way to experience the story, as everything happens in the order that the writers intended. Jackson’s direction guides the audience through the story gently without much confusion as the characters are introduced when they should be, their arcs happen naturally, and Jackson’s direction occurs naturally. In my opinion, watching Lord of the Rings in release order makes the most sense for new audiences.

Order of The Lord Of The Rings Movies

The Hobbit Movies In Order By Release Date

It is important to read The Hobbit trilogy in reverse order, since it is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings. Jackson’s The Hobbit movies demonstrate the importance of this viewing order. Assuming audiences already know Gandalf, Galadriel, and Saruman from the original trilogy, these sequels incorporate them into this story without much explanation.

It is only one of many differences between the Hobbit movies and the book. Having a good understanding of The Lord of the Rings will allow audiences to recognize characters and locations right away.

Order Of Events In The Lord Of The Rings Franchise

Chronological Order Of The Saga (Including The Rings Of Power)

It is much easier to watch Lord of the Rings movies and TV shows in chronological order than many other franchises, since the stories neatly follow each other outside of a very limited number of scenes (such as Frodo and Bilbo at the opening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey).

While Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is technically part of the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings canon, it does spiritually pay homage to the acclaimed cinematic trilogy in a number of ways — so much so that, when viewed in chronological order, it fits in nicely as a precursor to The Hobbit trilogy. However, The Rings of Power takes place millennia before The Hobbit, so it’s not essential viewing.

Those interested in watching all the live-action Lord of the Rings content chronologically (with The Rings of Power considered optional, especially since the series is still ongoing) should view the series and movies in the previous order:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Despite being released over a decade after The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is the first film chronologically in Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth saga. Prior to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tolkien wrote The Hobbit, which describes Bilbo Baggins’ adventures and how he discovered the One Ring several decades earlier.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013)

While J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit novel was a single book, Peter Jackson divided the story into three parts for the film adaptation. The first movie, An Unexpected Journey, sets off Bilbo’s adventure and lays the groundwork for the rest of the trilogy. Its sequel, 2013’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, continues moments after the events of its predecessor as Bilbo and his companions journey towards their ultimate goal: confronting the fearsome dragon guarding their treasure. From their rescue by eagles to their arrival at the Lonely Mountain, viewers follow our heroes’ perilous path. The film concludes with Smaug unleashing chaos on Laketown just as the dwarves arrive to reclaim their homeland.

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies (2014)

The third and final installment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, 2013’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, is a grand finale that rivals the epic scale of his previous Lord of the Rings films. Directly following The Desolation of Smaug, this chapter centers on an intense battle involving Bilbo’s company, the Dwarves, the Elves, and other armies vying for control of the land. As the story comes to a thrilling end, we witness Bilbo’s return to The Shire, setting the stage for his appearance in The Fellowship of the Ring. This adventure is what he reflects on at the start of that first Lord of the Rings movie, making The Battle of the Five Armies a fitting lead-in to events to come.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001)

As Bilbo’s cousin, Frodo (who Bilbo calls his nephew), attempts to destroy the One Ring that Bilbo uncovered in The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings trilogy takes place 60 years after The Hobbit. In 2001, The Fellowship of the Ring introduces many of the series’ most important characters, sending them off on their adventure and establishing the relationships that will follow throughout the entire trilogy.

While it’s technically a sequel to The Hobbit, watching Peter Jackson’s prequel trilogy isn’t at all essential, since none of the events in The Fellowship of the Ring or the two movies that follow require knowledge of The Hobbit. At the end of the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and Sam separate from their friends as Merry and Pippin are rescued by the Orcs.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The Two Towers bridges the gap between the first and final Lord of the Rings movies, introducing several new locations along the way to Mordor as well as splitting up the Fellowship. The story is divided into three parts: Frodo and Sam’s journey to Mordor with Gollum, Merry and Pippin’s interactions with the Ents, and the remaining heroes’ attempts to save Rohan from Sauron’s armies.

The climax of the tale is the renowned Battle of Helm’s Deep, paving the way for the final chapter of the trilogy. Despite being the middle portion of the overarching narrative, The Two Towers contains numerous pivotal moments and showcases one of the franchise’s most grandiose battle scenes as the Urak-Hai launch an invasion on Helm’s Deep. This installment also serves as a remarkable testament to both J.R.R. Tolkien’s prowess as a storyteller and Peter Jackson’s talent as a director, functioning just as effectively as a standalone story as it does within its larger context.

The Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy culminates in 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which brings all the various narrative threads to a head and sees the united people’s of Middle-earth take their last stand against the dark lord Sauron and the forces of Mordor. Return of the King is the final entry in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and as such, the final chronological entry in this cinematic universe.

The story follows Frodo and his friends as they battle against Sauron and eventually destroy the One Ring, bringing peace back to Middle-Earth. Return of the King wraps the story up perfectly, and it went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It’s also the latest chronological point J.R.R. Tolkien wrote on when it comes to the history of Middle-earth, as very little was disclosed about what happened after The Return of the King and the fourth age of Middle-earth that followed.

How The Rings Of Power Fits Into The Lord Of The Rings Franchise

A New Addition To The Mythos

The Rings of Power is a series that takes place long before The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, during the First Age of Middle-earth. It follows a much younger version of Galadriel as she attempts to stop Sauron’s rise to power, which ties neatly into the movies that follow many years later.

Although The Rings of Power technically isn’t an official prequel, it works within the timeline of Jackson’s films, as it’s still following Tolkien’s history of Middle-earth. However, the series takes liberties with Tolkien’s writings, so it’s hard to say if it’s as faithful as the Lord of the Rings movies.

The first season of The Rings of Power stars Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Charlie Vickers as Halbrand, Maxim Baldry as Isildur, and Ismael Cruz Cordova as Arondir. The Rings of Power is a big change from The Lord of the Rings, and it has plans to continue for several more seasons. Whether it will become as highly regarded as the movies remains to be seen, but it’s certainly doing a good job of expanding upon Tolkien’s vast lore.

The Future Of The Lord Of The Rings Franchise

An Anime & A New LOTR Movie Series Is Coming

The future remains bright for fans of The Lord of the Rings franchise. In 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav​​​​​​​ said the company was planning to make several new movies alongside Freemode, a division of Swedish entertainment company Embracer Group, which previously acquired the movie rights to Tolkien’s work. Zaslav said they will expand “upon the much-loved world and characters of Middle-earth” (via CNN).

This does not include the anime movie Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which will be released in December 2024. Set 183 years before The Two Towers, The War of the Rohirrim will center on Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan, who looks to defend his country against an army of Dunlendings. Brian Cox (Succession) voices Hammerhand, and Miranda Otto returns as Éowyn.

After that, the next Lord of the Rings movie will be The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, scheduled for release in 2026. Andy Serkis, who motion-capture portrayed Gollum in the franchise, has signed on to direct the film. This is the first live-action LOTR movie since Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy ended in 2014. There are no plot details, but in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, The Hunt for Gollum occurred during a multi-year time skip that separates Bilbo’s birthday party and Frodo leaving the Shire.

​​​​​​​