How many Lord of the Rings movies are there? The answer may seem obvious enough given we’re talking about a trilogy, but once you take into account prequels, spinoffs, and extended cuts, keeping track of the franchise can be tough – especially if you haven’t read J.R.R. Tolkien’s original novels.
Due to that potential for confusion, we’ve pulled together this handy round-up of every Lord of the Rings-related film released to date, complete with a chronological watch order to help you plan your next Middle-earth movie marathon.
How Many Lord of the Rings Movies Are There?
There are six movies in the cinematic Lord of the Rings canon: three Lord of the Rings installments and three Hobbit prequels. All six films were directed by Peter Jackson and written by Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh (Stephen Sinclair and Guillermo del Toro are credited as co-screenwriters on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and the Hobbit trilogy, respectively) and were released in the following order:
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Alternate versions of all six movies known as “Extended Editions” exist, hitting home movie shelves after their counterparts’ stints in cinemas wrapped up. Obviously, the Extended Editions aren’t standalone films in their own right; they’re (substantially) longer cuts of the pre-existing Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films. That said, the Extended Editions are typically sold separately from the theatrical versions, so be prepared to shell out extra if you want to have both on your shelf or in your virtual library.
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Are Any More Lord of the Rings Movies Planned?
The movies that make up the cinematic Lord of the Rings canon won’t remain capped at six for long. Several additions to the franchise are currently in the works, with feature-length anime The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim leading the charge.
Directed by Kenji Kamiyama and animated by Sola Entertainment, The War of the Rohirrim is set almost 200 years before the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It depicts legendary Middle-earth figure Helm Hammerhand leading the defense of Rohan against the Wild Men of Dunland. Lord of the Rings star Miranda Otto reprises the role of Éowyn (who serves as the narrator) in War of the Rohirrim and Boyens consulted on the script. The film is scheduled for release in theaters in December 2024.
Looking further ahead, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema recently announced plans for an entire slate of Lord of the Rings movies, having struck a deal with the franchise’s new rightsholder Embracer Group. We don’t know much about these as-yet-untitled projects, although a joint statement by Warner Bros. bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy suggests that the studio plans on adapting or otherwise drawing inspiration from previously unexplored corners of Tolkien’s lore. So, fans should expect spinoffs, prequels, and sequels to the existing Lord of the Rings movies, not remakes.
For its part, Embracer Group has expressed interest in producing Lord of the Rings side projects “based on iconic characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, [and] Éowyn.” It’s worth noting, however, that these remarks were made prior to the joint announcement with Warner Bros. and New Line and may not reflect the current direction of the franchise.
Similarly, while Embracer and Warner Bros. have reportedly kept Jackson, Boyens, and Walsh “in the loop” about their plans for The Lord of the Rings, the trio isn’t currently involved in an official capacity. So, the franchise’s post-War of the Rohirrim future is very much a “watch this space” situation.
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Are There Any “Non-Canon” Lord of the Rings Movies?
That’s all the “official” Lord of the Rings movies covered, but before moving on to the watch order, we should note that Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings flicks aren’t the only Tolkien-inspired films out there. A handful of licensed animated productions pre-date the Kiwi filmmaker’s efforts.
The first of these extra-canonical outings is a short film based on The Hobbit released in 1967. Written and directed by Gene Deitch, this loose, 12-minute adaptation was rushed out the door by producer William Snyder so that he could retain the rights to the novel. The Hobbit short film was only screened once for a small audience in Manhattan and has never been released commercially (although you can find a bootleg copy on YouTube).
Snyder and Dietch’s short film was followed by an unrelated, feature-length Hobbit cartoon special that aired on NBC in 1977. Overseen by Rankin/Bass, this version of The Hobbit is a musical geared towards younger viewers. A year later, another animated Tolkien adaptation — once again unrelated to its predecessor — surfaced: Ralph Bakshi’s 1978 cult classic The Lord of the Rings, which combined The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers into one movie. A sequel covering The Return of the King was planned but, despite The Lord of the Rings‘ moderate box office success, ultimately failed to materialize.
An animated adaptation of The Return of the King did eventually happen — but in the form of a follow-up to the Rankin/Bass Hobbit special, and not Bakshi’s movie. It brought back several of The Hobbit‘s cast and crew and debuted on ABC in 1980.
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How to Watch Lord of the Rings in Chronological Order
Now that we’ve addressed the animated Lord of the Rings, let’s get back to the “official” Lord of the Rings cinematic canon — specifically, how to watch those films in chronological order. To do this, you’ll want to cue up the six live-action entries and forthcoming anime in the following order:
- The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
It’s entirely up to you whether you choose the theatrical or Extended Edition versions of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies, since (as you’d expect) this has no impact on the viewing order. By contrast, Warner Bros. and New Line’s forthcoming entries will almost certainly necessitate rejigging this chronology when they finally hit the big screen — and that’s before you add tie-in TV shows, video games, and the like into the mix. Indeed, to paraphrase The Hobbit protagonist Bilbo Baggins, the Lord of the Rings franchise truly does go ever on and on.
