Ultimate Guide to Watching The Lord of the Rings Movies & TV Series in Chronological Order

J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth epic of The Lord of the Rings has captivated audiences for decades, starting with The Hobbit in 1937. His tale ultimately prompted what would be one of the longest-standing and most lucrative franchises across literature, film and television.
Peter Jackson first brought Tolkien’s world to life with The Lord of the Rings film trilogy in the early 2000s, followed by The Hobbit movies a decade later. Eight years after the final Hobbit installment, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay brought the fantastical universe to television with The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime in 2022, with the second season premiering on Aug. 29, 2024. The Lord of the Rings is also getting the anime treatment later this year through The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which will be released in theatres on Dec. 13.
Whether you're new to the series or revisiting the epic saga, knowing where to start can be tricky, as the six films and television series take place over thousands of years.
Here’s how to watch the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, as well as the Rings of Power series, in both release and chronological order.
How to watch the Lord of the Rings movies and TV show in release order
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)
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022 - Present)