From the Bridge of Khazad-dûm to the ride of the Rohirrim, the Lord of the Rings movies have some of the greatest fantasy sequences of all time. More than twenty years later, this epic trilogy is still an unrivaled experience for fantasy fans. If you want to know the different ways to watch The Lord of the Rings, gather your fellowship in front of the TV because this guide will show you how to watch The Lord of the Rings movies in order and where to stream them online.
This guide includes details for the franchise’s chronological order, release order, extended editions and related movies and TV shows. We’ll also show you every way you can buy, stream and rent them on streaming services such as Netflix, Prime Video and MAX.
How to watch Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings franchise in release order
Taking eight years to film, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy began with the release of The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, followed by The Two Towers in 2002, and Return of the King in 2003. In a rare feat for a cinematic trilogy, each film is beloved by fans while also receiving critical acclaim.
Despite The Hobbit being only one 320-page book, a three-part adaptation began in 2012 with An Unexpected Journey, followed by The Desolation of Smaug in 2013 and The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014. In comparison to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy was poorly received despite the return of Ian McKellen as Gandalf and positive reviews for Martin Freeman’s performance as Bilbo Baggins.
How to watch Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings franchise in chronological order
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The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
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The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
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The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
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The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
If you want to watch the Lord of the Rings franchise in chronological order, you simply need to watch the Hobbit trilogy, followed by the Lord of the Rings trilogy. This means you’ll watch the adventures of Bilbo Baggins for three movies before following the adventures of his cousin and adoptive heir, Frodo Baggins.
How to watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy (extended editions) in order
Many fans won’t have seen the theatrical versions of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy for several years. This is because there are now extended editions of each movie, adding an additional 125 minutes to the trilogy’s runtime. The Lord of the Rings’ extended editions are considered by many fans to be superior to the theatrical release, so you may want to consider watching these versions instead – even if it’s your first viewing. They were overseen by Peter Jackson and offer a more in-depth adaptation that’s perfect for streaming.
Other adaptations
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The Lord of the Rings – 1979 directed by Hab Ashby
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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 directed by Kenji Kamiyama
Now that we’ve covered the many different releases you need to know, here is a complete list of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies in release order (including all the extended editions) and where to watch them on streaming services today.
