The Lord Of The Rings Movies In Order: How To Watch The J.R.R. Tolkien Movies

One does not simply watch the Lord of the Rings movies on streaming… is what I would say if there were not already plenty of options to relive this epic fantasy saga currently. Academy Award winner Peter Jackson’s precious blockbusters — following the adventures in Middle Earth that involve a mystical ring — are available either with an HBO Max subscription (including the Hobbit movies) or with a Netflix subscription at the moment.

However, one aspect of the franchise that may leave some people unfamiliar with J.R.R. Tolkien’s original novels confused is the proper order in which the cinematic adaptations should be seen. Well, fans could either watch the Lord of the Rings movies in order of when they were released or by tracing the story they tell chronologically. The following is a guide on how to check out the films in either order while we wait for the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

If You’ve Never Seen The Lord Of The Rings Movies Before

J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit — published in 1937 — and the subsequent trilogy of novels that follow it, collectively called The Lord of the Rings — released between 1954 and 1955 — are among the most recognizable and seminal fantasy stories ever conceived, which makes the live-action movies that they inspired a perfect entry point for newcomers to the genre. While it seems obvious that you would want to start with the Hobbit movies, since they are based on the book that came out the earliest, we actually recommend watching the Lord of the Rings movies first. The prequel trilogy is chock-full of references to the original films, so it would be better to go in order of release date.

If You Have Seen The Lord Of The Rings Movies Already

If you are a devoted fan of all things Tolkien and have followed Peter Jackson’s big screen adaptations since the beginning, then we really see no reason to guide you in either direction, honestly. However, your familiarity with the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies in the order they were released does give you the advantage of being able to follow the films in chronological order without risk of being confused by any Easter Eggs. Plus, if you have not already and you have enough time at your disposal, try watching the extended editions of the trilogy.

The Lord Of The Rings Movies In Order Of Release Date

Before you embark on your not-so-unexpected journey, allow us to explain the proper order of the Lord of the Rings movies and the Hobbit movies. We shall start by listing the titles in the order in which they were originally released for those new to the franchise or those who simply prefer to watch it that way.

• 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) 

The Lord Of The Rings Movies In Chronological Order:

SPOILER WARNING: As we trace Peter Jackson’s cinematic adventures through Middle Earth, we may give away a few crucial story details. So, if you have not yet seen any of the Lord of the Rings movies (including the Hobbit movies), we do not wish to tell you that you shall not pass, but figured it would be most fair to give you a proper warning before we move on.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Nearly a decade after wrapping up his first trilogy of Tolkien adaptations, Jackson returned to Middle Earth with a new, epic adventure film based on the saga’s earliest novel — or, more accurately, its first third. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey stars Martin Freeman as the title character, Bilbo Baggins, who finds himself joining wizard Gandalf the Grey (Sir Ian McKellan, reprising his role) and his company of Dwarves on a dangerous quest to reclaim their home in the Lonely Mountain and their riches from a vicious dragon named Smaug (Freeman’s Sherlock co-star, Benedict Cumberbatch). The movie also depicts Bilbo’s first interaction with Gollum, played once again by Andy Serkis, which leads to his possession of The One Ring.

Stream The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on HBO Max.
Rent or buy The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on Amazon.

The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (2013)

Picking up almost immediately where the previous film left off, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug sees Bilbo, Gandalf, and the Dwarves continuing their struggle to reclaim their homeland, if not for the titular dragon making things more difficult. Lord of the Rings cast veterans appearing in this prequel include Cate Blanchett as Galadriel and Orlando Bloom as Legolas.

Stream The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug on HBO Max.
Rent or buy The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug on Amazon.

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

Bilbo’s adventure with Gandalf and the Dwarves comes to an epic and positively deadly conclusion in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. While the characters no longer have to worry about Smaug, the fate of the Lonely Mountain now hangs in the balance as they wonder who will win a fearsome battle made up of various species of creatures from Middle Earth.

Stream The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies HBO Max.
Rent or buy The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies on Amazon.

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

The first live-action, feature-length adaptation of Tolkien’s thrilling saga stars Elijah Wood as Frodo — the cousin and adoptive heir to Bilbo (played as an older man by Ian Holm) — who is forced to go on a dangerous journey of his own. When the young hobbit comes into possession of a ring that Gandalf discovers belonged to the Dark Lord Sauron, he and others form the title group in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, with the sole purpose of destroying it.

Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring on Netflix.
Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring on HBO Max.
Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring — Extended Edition on HBO Max.

Rent or buy The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring on Amazon.

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

In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the fellowship has become divided, with Frodo and fellow hobbit, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astine), discovering that Gollum is on their trail as the get closer to their destination goal of Mordor. Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas, and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) stumble upon a once-great kingdom whose ruler has been corrupted by Sauron’s ally, Saruman (Christopher Lee).

Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers on Netflix.
Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers on HBO Max.
Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers — Extended Edition on HBO Max.

Rent or buy The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers on Amazon.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)

The saga reaches its stunning final chapter in the 2004 Best Picture Oscar winner, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which also earned Peter Jackson his Best Director win and nine other Academy Awards total. Frodo and Sam are the closest they have been yet to Mount Doom, but in order to ensure the One Ring’s destruction, Aragorn and Gandalf wage war against Sauron’s army.

Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King on Netflix.
Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King on HBO Max.
Stream The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King — Extended Edition on HBO Max.

Rent or buy The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King on Amazon.

Stream the Lord of the Rings movies and see if you agree that this is the one franchise to rule them all.