How Many Lord of the Rings Movies Are There?

The Lord of the Rings franchise has six main films and one animated spin-off, seven theatrical releases in all, with an eighth, The Hunt for Gollum, dated for December 17, 2027, and one TV series, The Rings of Power, on Prime Video. The six main films are three adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and three of his earlier novel The Hobbit, and Peter Jackson directed every one of them. The spin-off is The War of the Rohirrim (2024), directed by Kenji Kamiyama. The lord of the rings movies hub gives the wider picture of the series, and lord of the rings movies in order sets out both viewing sequences.

Runtimes run from 134 minutes for the spin-off to 201 minutes for The Return of the King, which is a long weekend of viewing, so it helps to plan which films you will take in one sitting.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy follows the hobbit Frodo as he carries the One Ring toward Mordor, and it is the core of the saga. Fellowship of the Ring (2001) opens with a prologue about the master Ring that Sauron made, then sends Frodo and his friend Sam out of the Shire, joined by Merry and Pippin, with the Black Riders close behind. The Two Towers (2002) splits the Fellowship: Frodo and Sam are led by Gollum, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli chase the Orcs who took Merry and Pippin, and the two hobbits meet the Ents in Fangorn Forest. Return of the King (2003) builds toward the assault on Minas Tirith and Aragorn's decision to claim his heritage as king of Gondor.

The third film is the longest in the set at 201 minutes and the highest grossing, with $1.14 billion worldwide according to Box Office Mojo. It also won 11 Oscars from 11 nominations, including Best Picture, according to the Academy.

The Hobbit trilogy tells the earlier story of Bilbo Baggins, who joins Thorin Oakenshield and a company of thirteen dwarves to win back the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) frames the tale as an older Bilbo writing for his nephew Frodo, then goes back sixty years to the day Gandalf picks him as the company's burglar. Desolation of Smaug (2013) takes the dwarves through the home of Beorn and the dark forest of Mirkwood toward the dragon. Battle of the Five Armies (2014) opens with Smaug's attack on Lake-town and follows Thorin as a sickness of greed takes hold of him.

These films arrived after the Lord of the Rings trilogy but sit before it in story time, and Howard Shore scored all six main films. The last two carried budgets of $250 million each, against $93 million for the first Lord of the Rings film.

The spin-off is War of the Rohirrim (2024), an animated film that Warner Bros. places 183 years before the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Éowyn narrates the story of King Helm Hammerhand of Rohan, voiced by Brian Cox, and his strong-willed daughter Héra, who is pursued as a bride by Wulf, the son of the Dunlending lord Freca. It earned $20.8 million worldwide on a $30 million budget, which makes it the smallest release in the set by some distance.

Yes, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a Prime Video series from showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, and it is not counted in the film total. It is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before The Hobbit, and follows elves, dwarves, men and the rising power of Sauron. Season 1 premiered on September 1, 2022 and season 2 on August 29, 2024, with eight episodes each. Season 3 premieres on November 11, 2026. The lord of the rings timeline shows where it fits.

The next film is the hunt for gollum, dated for December 17, 2027 by Warner Bros. and New Line. Andy Serkis is directing and playing Gollum, and Variety Australia reported in July 2026 that filming is under way in New Zealand. The release was first announced for 2026 and was later pushed back by a year.

In my opinion, release order is the safer choice for a first viewing, which means starting with The Fellowship of the Ring. The trilogy stands on its own, while the Hobbit films were made to lead into it (the first one even opens with Bilbo writing for Frodo). That being said, the chronological route starts with The Hobbit and is a fair pick if you prefer to follow the story in sequence. For the cast, see lord of the rings cast and lord of the rings characters, and for current streaming services in the US, UK and Australia, check where to watch lord of the rings before you start.