The Lord of the Rings / Middle-earth watch order
Every film, series, and special adaptation of Tolkien's Middle-earth, in release order.
11 entries·~37 hrs total runtime·1977–2024
In story order: The Rings of Power, The War of the Rohirrim, The Hobbit, then The Lord of the Rings.
Early Animated Adaptations
-
1
The Hobbit
Special77 min · 1977
Rankin/Bass animated TV adaptation; the first screen adaptation of Tolkien's Middle-earth.
-
2
The Lord of the Rings
Movie132 min · 1978
Ralph Bakshi's animated film adapts Fellowship and part of The Two Towers, but is incomplete.
-
3
The Return of the King
Special98 min · 1980
Rankin/Bass animated TV adaptation of the concluding story.
Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
-
4
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Movie178 min · 2001
-
5
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Movie179 min · 2002
-
6
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Movie201 min · 2003
Peter Jackson's The Hobbit Trilogy
-
7
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Movie169 min · 2012
Set about 60 years before The Fellowship of the Ring, despite releasing after it.
-
8
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Movie161 min · 2013
-
9
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Movie144 min · 2014
The Rings of Power
-
10
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
TV Series16 episodes across 2 seasons · 2022–present
Set during the Second Age, thousands of years before The Hobbit, in a separate screen continuity.
Warner Bros. Animated Prequel
-
11
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
Movie134 min · 2024
Set 183 years before The Two Towers.
How many Lord of the Rings movies and shows are there?
This list runs to 11 entries: 8 theatrical films, 2 early animated TV specials, and 1 ongoing TV series (The Rings of Power, at 16 episodes across two seasons so far).
Do I need to watch The Hobbit before The Lord of the Rings?
The Hobbit is set earlier in the story, but Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy was released first, so release order watches Fellowship of the Ring before An Unexpected Journey.
What order should a first-timer watch Middle-earth in?
Release order within Peter Jackson's continuity: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, then The Hobbit trilogy.
Is The Lord of the Rings / Middle-earth finished or still ongoing?
Still ongoing — The Rings of Power has further seasons planned, and additional films have been announced but aren't included here until released.
See also: The Chronicles of Narnia watch order.
Check streaming availability on JustWatch.
Last updated