exist six films in all set in JRR Tolkein’s Middle-earth: three Lord of the Rings films and three The Hobbit films. There’s also the 1997 animated film, The Hobbit, which is separate from the newer movies. No future movies planned, though Amazon is set to release its big budget The Lord of the Rings TV series, The Rings of Power, on September 2.
Where do the rings of power fit into the Lord of the Rings timeline?
Amazon’s Rings of Power series is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit . This is the period in Middle-earth during which we will see “the forging of the rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic history of Númenor, and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men,” according to showrunners JD Payne. and Patrick McKay.
The Lord of the Rings movies in chronological order
1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
where to look : Max HBO Amazon
The only potential confusion in the Lord of the Rings-Hobbit timeline comes from the fact that The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, even though it was released a decade later.
Chronologically, the story begins with 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, in which Martin Freeman takes on the role of a younger Bilbo Baggins (played by Ian Holm in the LotR trilogy). Gandalf, one of several characters whose stories are found in both trilogies, recruits Bilbo to join Thorin (Richard Armitage) and company in helping to reclaim the kingdom of the dwarves below Erebor, also known as The Lonely Mountain, which it had been plundered by the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo meets Gollum for the first time and takes possession of the One Ring.
read our The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey review .
2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
where to look : HBO Max (August 25), or rentable at Amazon
Thorin and company continue their journey towards The Lonely Mountain, fending off giant spiders and orcs along the way. Orlando Bloom’s Legolas (another LotR staple) joins the fray along with newcomer Tauriel (played by Ant-Man’s Evangeline Lilly). As the company reaches Esgaroth, a lake city south of Erebor, Bilbo descends the mountain, where he meets Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Smaug finally leaves his lair and departs for Esgaroth, preparing for the conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy.
read our Review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug .
3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
where to look : Max HBO Amazon
The conflict with Smaug is resolved and the main battle of the film ensues involving the armies of Men, Dwarves, Elves and two tribes of Orcs. We’re being very vague here as The Battle of the Five Armies is full of resolution (and therefore spoilers), but get ready for an action-packed movie that ultimately ends where the Lord of the Rings trilogy begins: back in the Shire, 60 years later, when Gandalf visits Bilbo on his 111th birthday.
read our Review of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies .
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
where to look : Max HBO Amazon
The first Middle-earth movie by release date (and fourth chronologically) is 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The perspective shifts from Bilbo to his much younger cousin, Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). After an exposition establishing the current state of affairs in Middle-earth, we return to the celebration of Bilbo’s 111th birthday in the Shire.
Bilbo sets off on one last adventure, leaving the One Ring with Frodo; Gandalf warns Frodo that he must leave the Shire, like Sauron (the The Lord of the Rings) and his evil cronies, specifically the Nazgûl, a host of nine horse-mounted wraiths, will come for the ring. Frodo leaves the Shire with his best friend Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), along with his fellow hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippen (Billy Boyd).
After some dangerous journeys and character introductions, including Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom), and Saruman (Christopher Lee), a plan is devised to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mordor’s Mount Doom, where the Rings were forged. of power. The plan will be carried out by a heterogeneous group known as the Fellowship of the Ring: the wizard Gandalf; the hobbits Frodo, Samwise, Merry and Pippen; Legolas the elf; the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies); and the humans Aragorn and Boromir (Sean Bean).
A treacherous journey takes them to Lothlórien, an elven kingdom ruled by Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel, who also appears throughout The Hobbit trilogy and is one of the main protagonists of the new Amazon series (this younger version of Galadriel is played by Morfydd Clark). Galadriel advises Frodo and he decides to continue his journey to Mordor without the others, bringing only his most trusted confidante, Sam.
read our The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring review .
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
where to look : Max HBO Amazon
Frodo and Sam face a third reluctant fellow traveler in Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), a hobbit long ago corrupted by the power of the One Ring. The trio reach the outskirts of Mordor, only to be stopped by an unforeseen intervention. The other members of the Fellowship embark on a rescue mission; Gandalf takes on a new form; and the first epic battle of the trilogy takes place in Helm’s Deep Gorge.
read our The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers review .
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
where to look : Max HBO Amazon
As with The Battle of the Five Armies, the plot of The Return of the King is essentially all spoilers, so again we’ll be highlighting only the larger story beats. Gollum, harnessing the Ring’s influence, pits Frodo against Sam and leads the former into the lair of a deadly foe. Meanwhile, the other members of the Fellowship take part in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, a massive final fight against Sauron’s dark forces.
Frodo and Sam eventually enter Mordor in disguise and, with the help of the other members of the Fellowship, carry out the original plan. With the journey concluded, we enter the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and enjoy a bittersweet ending.
read our The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King review .
How to watch Lord of the Rings movies by release date
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)
