00:00J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth epic of The Lord of the Rings has captivated audiences
00:06for decades, starting with The Hobbit in 1937.
00:10His tale ultimately prompted what would be one of the longest-standing and most lucrative
00:14franchises across literature, film, and television.
00:19Peter Jackson first brought Tolkien's world to life with The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
00:23in the early 2000s, followed by The Hobbit movies a decade later.
00:27Eight years after the final Hobbit installment, J.D., Payne and Patrick McKay brought the
00:32fantastical universe to television with The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime in 2022, with
00:37the second season premiering on Aug. 29, 2024.
00:43The Lord of the Rings is also getting the anime treatment later this year through The
00:46Lord of the Rings The War of the Rohirrim, which will be released in theaters on DEC.
00:52Whether you're new to the series or revisiting the epic saga, knowing where to start can
00:58be tricky, as the six films and television series take place over thousands of years.
01:05Here's how to watch The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, as well as The Rings of
01:09Power series, in both release and chronological order.
01:14How to watch The Lord of the Rings movies and TV show in release order
01:19The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring 2001
01:24The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers 2002
01:28The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King 2003
01:33The Hobbit An Unexpected Journey 2012
01:37The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug 2013
01:41The Hobbit The Battle of the Five Armies 2014
01:45The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power 2022 Present
01:51How to watch The Lord of the Rings movies and TV show in chronological order
01:56The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power
02:00Dots set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, The
02:04Rings of Power takes place during the Second Age of Middle-Earth.
02:09According to the series showrunners, The Rings of Power offers an extensive backstory narrative
02:13for some of the major plot points in the iconic saga.
02:18The Rings of Power unites all the major stories of Middle-Earth's Second Age, the Forging
02:22of the Rings, the Rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic tale of Numenor and the Last Alliance
02:28of Elves and Men Payne, and Mackay said.
02:31Until now, audiences have only seen on screen the story of the One Ring, but before there
02:36was one, there were many.
02:39The series lays the foundation for the events that unfold in later films, such as the
02:43creation of the One Ring and features characters like Galadriel, Morphide Clark and Elrond
02:48Robert Aramayo, who are also prominent in the later stories.
02:53The series is in the throes of its second season after premiering in August 2024.
02:59The Hobbit and Unexpected Journey 2012
03:03An unexpected journey is set 60 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings and marks
03:08the beginning of Bilbo Baggin's Martin Freeman adventure in the timeline.
03:13The story begins with the wizard Gandalf Ian McKellen recruiting Bilbo to join Thorin
03:17Oakenshield Richard Armitage and his band of dwarves on a quest to reclaim their homeland
03:22from the Dragon Smaug.
03:24The journey is fraught with danger as they face numerous challenges including trolls,
03:29orcs and a voyage through the Misty Mountains where Bilbo encounters Gollum Andy Serkis
03:33and obtains the One Ring.
03:36Meanwhile, Gandalf seeks help from the White Council, including Galadriel Cate Blanchett,
03:41who senses the growing darkness in Middle-earth and supports Gandalf's concerns about a rising
03:45evil, foreshadowing the larger conflict that will unfold.
03:50The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug
03:53Set in the middle of the quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain, The Desolation of Smaug
03:57continues the journey of Thorin and his company as they are pursued by Azog's orcs and face
04:03the threat of the Dragon Smaug.
04:05Along the way, they seek refuge with Bjorn Mikael Persbrandt, navigate the dangers of
04:10Mirkwood and encounter wood elves before reaching Lake-town.
04:13Meanwhile, Gandalf uncovers Sauron's growing power in Dol Guldur.
04:19The film builds up to the climactic encounter between Bilbo and the Dragon Smaug voiced
04:24by Benedict Cumberbatch, who awakens to wreak havoc on Lake-town.
04:29The film takes place in the years leading up to the events of The Lord of the Rings,
04:33setting the stage for the eventual War of the Ring and the conclusion of the Hobbit
04:37trilogy.
04:39The Hobbit The Battle of the Five Armies
04:42The Battle of the Five Armies takes place immediately after the events of The Desolation
04:46of Smaug and sees the resolution of the conflict with Smaug, where Bard Luke Evans emerges
04:51as a hero by slaying the dragon.
04:54The narrative builds toward an epic confrontation involving dwarves, elves, men and orcs with
05:00alliances forged in the titular battle.
05:03The film concludes in the timeline where The Lord of the Rings begins 60 years later
05:09as Bilbo returns to the Shire, where he is paid a visit by Gandalf on his 111th birthday.
05:16The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring
05:20Set in the Third Age of Middle-earth, The Fellowship of the Ring follows the story of
05:24Frodo Baggins Elijah Wood, a young cousin of Bilbo who inherits the One Ring.
05:29With Sauron's forces pursuing the Ring to reclaim it, Frodo embarks on a journey to
05:34destroy it.
05:35Frodo forms the Fellowship and they face numerous challenges as they navigate the perilous mines
05:40of Moria and the mystical forest of Lothlorien, an elf realm ruled by Galadriel.
05:47The film sets the stage for the epic battle that will determine the fate of Middle-earth.
05:52The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
05:55The Two Towers picks up where the Fellowship of the Ring left off, and the adventure intensifies
06:00as the Fellowship is divided and Frodo and Sam Sean Astin continue their quest to destroy
06:05the Ring, guided by the treacherous Gollum.
06:08The narrative splits into multiple threads, following the scattered members of the Fellowship
06:12as they face their respective challenges.
06:16The film's central conflict revolves around the growing threat of Sauron and Saruman as
06:21their forces spread across Middle-earth, culminating in the epic battle of Helm's Deep, ultimately
06:27setting the stage for the final confrontation.
06:31The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King
06:34The Return of the King brings the trilogy to its epic conclusion in the final days of
06:38the War of the Ring.
06:40As Frodo and Sam make their final push toward Mount Doom, the rest of the Fellowship rallies
06:45the forces for a last stand against Sauron's army.
06:49The story concludes with the destruction of the One Ring, the downfall of Sauron, and
06:53the restoration of peace.
06:55Aragorn is crowned king and Frodo departs for the Undying Lands, marking the end of
06:59an era and leaving behind a legacy.
07:03Where to Watch The Lord of the Rings Movies and TV Show
07:07The Lord of the Rings trilogy is available to stream on Max, and The Hobbit trilogy is
07:12also on Max.
07:13The Rings of Power is streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
Comments