The lord of the rings and hobbit movies in order

There are six movies set in J. R. R. Tolkien’s world of Middle-Earth, three The Lord of the Rings movies, and three Hobbit movies. In this article, we will show you the best order of watching The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order and sort them by their timeline, chronologically, and in release order.

The best order of watching The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

We are bringing you some other options for watching The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies below, some of them are really special ways of watching, and they are more for hardcore fans that have already watched all six movies many times. Also, if you are not sure where to watch them, we provided you with a link for all six Middle-earth extended edition movies.

How many The Lord of the Rings movies are there?

There are in total six The Lord of the Rings movies. Three Lord of the Rings movies and three The Hobbit movies. Those movies are The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.

RELATED: Where to Stream The Lord of the Rings in 4K in 2022?

Is The Hobbit before or after The Lord of the Rings?

The Hobbit takes place 60 years before The Lord of the Rings adventure, save for the new film’s prologue, which unfolds about twenty minutes before The Fellowship of the Ring begins. Elijah Wood returns as Frodo to chat with old Bilbo (Ian Holm) about the elder Hobbit’s upcoming 111th birthday party, to which Gandalf arrives at the beginning of Fellowship.

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order by release date

This is not the order of watching we prefer, although that is the way we first watched The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies.

If this is your first time watching these amazing movies, which we can’t believe, then it would be better for you to watch The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies in chronological order, we will explain later why we think so.

Nevertheless, here we will sort all The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies by release dates:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
2. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
5. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
6. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Movies in Chronological Order

Chronologically is a better way of watching The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies in order, and we will explain why we think so, even more for those watching them for the first time.

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies is order – chronological:

1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

And here is why. First of all, there are some spoilers in The Lord of the Rings movies, and if you watch them first, it will take away some of the drama from The Hobbit movies. Watching LOTR movies first also removes some big stakes from The Hobbit movies.

And second, The Hobbit movies, are good, but not amazing as are The Lord of the Rings movies. So, we were a bit disappointed with them because after seeing LOTR movies, we had huge expectations. If you watch them this way, as you go, with every movie, you will only be more and more rewarded.

RELATED: The Lord of the Rings Theatrical vs. Extended: Differences & Which Is Better

But, it has to be said, even this kind of watching can affect some parts of The Lord of the Rings movies.

Due to the Jackson additions to The Hobbit movies that directly foreshadow events in the LotR, some scenes in The Hobbit ruin parts of the Lord of the Rings series. Still, for a first-time watcher, it is hard for you even to notice those things, and there will be much more spoilers if you go by release order.

Still, there are some problems with this order of watching, and we are coming to the best order of watching.

The best order of watching The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies

This order of watching The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies solves the largest issue facing chronological story order: many facts that an audience is assumed to know since The Hobbit was released after The Lord of the Rings.

The Hobbit is told as a flashback by old Bilbo recording his journey and while preparations are ongoing for his 111th birthday, as seen at the beginning of Fellowship of the Ring.

For someone unfamiliar with the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, almost everything about that opening goes right over their heads, along with the storyline about the Necromancer and how it is the return of Sauron.

Additionally, the entire reason why Gollum’s ring is evil is never directly stated in the films but is assumed that the audience knows.

So, here is the best order of watching The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies:

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The second issue that this order address is that if you watch the films in release order, which solves the issue with story order, you end with the Battle of the Five Armies. This is a rather weak film to end on (in comparison with The Lord of the Rings), plus that film does nothing to wrap up the larger story of the Rings of Power, which you got to see three films ago in what is a much more fitting end to the saga as a whole.

Furthermore, the ending of Return of the King also brings Bilbo’s story to an end, so you then see the ending of his story before even knowing the full extent.

How will Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings TV show fit in the chronological timeline?

We know the official synopsis for Amazon the Lord of the Rings TV show, which gives fans an insight into what their next adventure in Middle-Earth will be like. The synopsis of the plot was obtained by TheOneRing.Net, and confirmed by IGN and while giving a ton of new details, it mentions some places that will be presented in the show, including the Misty Mountains, Lindon, and Númenor. The full content is as follows;

“Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.

Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”

As we can all see from this synopsis, Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings TV show will be set before the events of The Hobbit, as well as before The Lord of the Rings.

We do believe that at its end, it will merge with the beginning of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and thus continue our best The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings watching order.

RELATED: 20 Best Movies Like The Lord of the Rings (2022 Update)

At the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring, we see Sauron defeated by Isildur, and we do know that Sauron will be the main villain in the Amazon TV show, so this could again be his end down the line. I also hope we won’t be seeing that for a long time (at least for five seasons + spin-offs).

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies in order – Conclusion

This Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit watch order is mostly made for first-time viewers or people who have watched the movies a long time ago, and want to watch them again. If you are not sure where to find them, we have a link for all six Middle-earth extended edition movies on Amazon.

You can watch them any way you want, I mean by release order, chronologically, or in our, BEST, way, you won’t make any mistake by choosing any of them, but you will probably enjoy them the most if you follow our The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings watch order.

If you are wondering in which order you should be reading The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and other Middle-Earth books, be sure to check out our article.

• 

  Robert Milakovic

  Robert Milakovic

  Robert is the co-owner of Fiction Horizon and a lifelong fan of movies, TV shows, comics, and video games. Especially fascinated by Marvel, he enjoys every aspect of the franchise.

  What comes first The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings?

  Before the The Lord of the Rings, there was The Hobbit. Though the film adaptation didn't come until almost a decade after Peter Jackson's hugely successful LOTR movies, the story, like its celluloid predecessor, was split into three installments.

  How many Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies are there in order?

  There are six total movies set within J.R.R. Tolkein's Middle-earth: three The Lord of the Rings movies and three The Hobbit movies.

  Do I watch The Hobbit before Lord of the Rings?

  The films are based on the 1937 novel The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien and follow the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Frodo's uncle. So if you want to follow a timeline that's true to Tolkien's novels, you should begin with The Hobbit trilogy.