Based on the acclaimed novels by JRR Tolkien, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings franchise is widely regarded by many as the best fantasy franchise of all time. Boasting ambitious world building, grand fighting sequences, and unforgettable characters like the good wizard Gandalf and the evil shadow creature Gollum. The franchise includes several extended director’s cuts and a prequel trilogy.
To watch the entire franchise in the right order, have a look at our streaming guide to all of the Lord of the Rings movies. This includes the original trilogy, the prequel Hobbit trilogy and the extended editions.
How to watch the Lord of the Rings franchise in chronological order
Before writing the three-volume novel Lord of the Rings, British author JRR Tolkien wrote The Hobbit as a prequel novel. Even though The Hobbit is just one book, Peter Jackson fleshed out its story in three movies. These should be watched before the Lord of the Rings movies as they set up the fictional world of Middle-Earth, the power of a magical set of rings, and introduces franchise characters like the Hobbit (a fictional race of creatures created by Tolkien) named Bilbo Baggins and the friendly wizard Gandalf.
The Hobbit series covers Bilbo and Gandalf adventures with a band of dwarves, ultimately culminating in a great battle in The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies. The previous two movies also received an extended edition each. The Hobbit trilogy then gives way to the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
With all three Lords of the Rings movies earning major Oscar nominations and wins, these are the most acclaimed of the franchise. They largely follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins and the warrior group known as the Fellowship as they aim to destroy the cursed artifact One Ring and defeat its all-powerful creator Sauron. Much like the Hobbit movies, all Lord of the Rings movies were directed by Peter Jackson.
How to watch the Lord of the Rings Extended Editions in Order
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The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended Edition)
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The Lord of The Rings: Return of the King (Extended Edition)
Each of the Lord of the Rings movies and the first two Hobbit movies were accompanied by extended editions, overseen by Peter Jackson himself. These director’s cuts provide more context to the franchise’s many fantastical characters while adding some subplots. Many fans consider these extended editions to be superior to the theatrical cuts. So, if you are a beginner to the franchise, you can start with the extended editions.
Other Lord of the Rings adaptations
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The Hobbit - 1977 animated musical special directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
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The Lord of the Rings - 1978 animated fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi (that adapted the storyline from The Fellowship of the Ring to The Two Towers)
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The Return of the King - 1980 animated sequel to 1977’s The Hobbit, again directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - TV show produced by Amazon Studios
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War of the Rohirrim - 2024 animated movie directed by Kenji Kamiyama
How to watch the Lord of the Rings franchise in release order
Now that you know about the different movies of the Lord of the Rings franchise, here is a complete list of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies (and their extended editions) in release order and where to watch them on streaming services in India.