How to Watch Chronologically or by Release Date

The Big Picture

• The Lord of The Rings trilogy, directed by Peter Jackson, set a new standard for fantasy films and remains the highest-grossing trilogy of all time, with 17 Oscars to its name.
• To fully immerse yourself in Middle-earth, you can watch Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy in either their release date order or chronological order.
• The Hobbit serves as a prequel to The Lord of the Rings , and following the chronological order aligns with the events in J.R.R. Tolkien's novels.

The Lord of The Rings movie series rocked the film industry in the early 2000s, grossing nearly $3 billion at the box office and winning a total of 17 Oscars — a record the trilogy still holds to this day. Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s series showed that a fantasy film can be a huge success if done right. The Hobbit trilogy, a prequel series that graced the silver screen a decade later, may not have been as great as its predecessor, but it is still amazing in its own right.

The franchise was brought back to the main stage with the premiere of Prime Video's The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power in 2022. Rings of Power brought the Second Age to live-action, featuring younger versions of familiar characters like Elrond and Galadriel while also exploring the rise of Sauron and the story of Númenor. The expensive TV series garnered a mixed reaction from viewers for a multitude of reasons, however, for those looking to revisit Middle Earth, it was a welcome arrival. For those curious, Rings of Power takes place before both The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. If you're curious about the order of the films, we’ve got two lists for you here: first, in order of release date, and second, in chronological order, to make the viewings a bit easier for you. You can try any of these and get the most out of your binge-watch.

The Lord of the Rings Movies in Order of Release Date

The Hobbit Movies in Order of Release Date

The Hobbit Movies in Chronological Order

The Hobbit series was released a decade after The Lord of the Rings trilogy but serves as its prequel within the story chronology. The films are based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and follow the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (MartinFreeman), Frodo's uncle. So, if you want to follow a timeline that’s true to Tolkien’s novels, you should begin with The Hobbit trilogy.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug.

The first movie in The Hobbit trilogy, An Unexpected Journey was a financial success. It grossed over $1.017 billion at the box office, more than The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The story begins with an old Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) who begins to write the full story of his adventure that happened 60 years ago. He details how Gandalf (Ian McKellen), realizing his latent thirst for adventure, lures Bilbo to join a group of dwarves to assist them in their quest to enter the Lonely Mountain. It is the same book Frodo is seen continuing in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, making the connection even more interesting.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a 2013 epic high fantasy adventure film directed by Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Jackson, and Guillermo del Toro, based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.

The second movie in The Hobbit series saw the debut of Smaug, one of the last remaining great dragons of Middle-earth, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. The film delves deeper into Bilbo's character, as he proves himself to be a brave and reliable ally to the dwarves by retrieving the Arkenstone from the stolen treasures of Smaug. The Desolation of Smaug also surpassed both The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, grossing $959 million worldwide.

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Having reclaimed Erebor and vast treasure from the dragon Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) sacrifices friendship and honor in seeking the Arkenstone, despite Smaug's fiery wrath and desperate attempts by the Hobbit Bilbo (Martin Freeman) to make him see reason. Meanwhile, Sauron sends legions of Orcs in a sneak attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As the fate of Middle-earth hangs in the balance, the races of Men, Elves and Dwarves must decide whether to unite and prevail -- or all die.

The final movie of the series, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies holds special significance for a number of reasons. It was Ian Holm's and Christopher Lee’s last live-action appearances before their deaths in 2020 and 2015 respectively. Lee played the role of Saruman the White in both the series, and we see his character at full glory in this movie. Conflicts arise between the forces of men, elves, and dwarves, and draw the attention of Sauron's forces, and Bilbo finds himself in the middle of a terrible war. The film ends at a similar note to the beginning of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, hence completing Bilbo’s saga.

The Lord of The Rings Movies in Chronological Order

The Lord of The Rings series revolutionized the fantasy genre completely. Directed by Peter Jackson, the films are based on the novel trilogy of the same name, published between 1954 and 1955, written by J. R. R. Tolkien. Chronologically, these movies are placed 60 years after Bilbo's adventure in The Hobbit series and depict the passing of the Ring of Power to Frodo (Elijah Wood), who now has to set out on his own quest to save the world.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.

The movie that started it all, and turned The Lord of the Rings into a worldwide phenomenon. Even after several rewatches, the audience can still feel the enthusiasm of Frodo, and his eight companions (who form the Fellowship of the Ring), who begin their journey to Mount Doom in the land of Mordor, the only place where the Ring of Power can be destroyed. It was the fifth highest-grossing film of all time at the time of its release, earning $880 million worldwide in its initial release. After its home video release, Jackson dropped an extended edition of the original three films. The extended Fellowship of the Ring extends the runtime from 178 minutes to 228 minutes, a whopping 3 hours and 48 minutes.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.

Following the story of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers deals with four different storylines. The group is divided after an ambush by the orcs in the last movie, while also missing a key member. Frodo and Sam (Sean Astin) continue their journey towards Mordor to destroy the One Ring, meeting and joined by Gollum (Andy Serkis), whom Bilbo faced during the events of The Hobbit's story. Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) stumble upon the nation of Rohan on the verge of annihilation and are surprised to meet a resurrected Gandalf. Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) escape from the clutches of the orcs, meet Treebeard the Ent, and plan an attack on Isengard, the fortress of Saruman, with his help. The extended version turns this 179-minute movie into a 235-minute movie.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.

The final movie in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King blew away movie fanatics all over the world. It was a masterpiece, highly acclaimed by both critics and audiences, who considered it to be a landmark in filmmaking and the fantasy film genre. The Return of The King features Middle-earth’s last stand against Sauron. Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and the rest of the forces of light join together in a seemingly impossible battle against Sauron and his forces in Minas Tirith, to provide Frodo a chance to destroy the One Ring. The epic battles, scores, scenery, and direction is simply breathtaking. No wonder this movie still shares the record for the most Academy Awards won by a single film. On top of that, its extended version pushes the already staggering 201-minute runtime to 252 minutes! That's over four hours! For those brave enough to attempt a full rewatch of the extended editions, prepare yourself for a nearly 12-hour marathon.

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies are available to stream on Max in the U.S.

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