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Every Lord of the Rings Movie in Order (and Where to Stream Them)

All the Lord of the Rings movies in release order — with critic and audience scores for each film and where to stream the whole series in the US right now.

By PickYourBinge TeamUpdated 3 movies

Planning your Lord of the Rings marathon? Here is every movie in the series in the order it was released, with Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb scores for each one.

We've also listed where every film is streaming in the US today, so you can see at a glance which service gets you the most of the series.

In order

  1. 1The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001
  2. 2The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers 2002
  3. 3The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) poster
IMDb8.991%

Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the hands of its evil creator. Along the way, a fellowship is formed to protect the ringbearer and make sure that the ring arrives at its final destination: Mt. Doom, the only place where it can be destroyed.

Where to watch, trailer & similar movies →
Stream on
  • HBO Max
  • YouTube TV
Director
Peter Jackson
Starring
Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) poster
IMDb8.895%

Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths. Their destinies lie at two towers--Orthanc Tower in Isengard, where the corrupt wizard Saruman awaits, and Sauron's fortress at Barad-dur, deep within the dark lands of Mordor.

Where to watch, trailer & similar movies →
Stream on
  • HBO Max
  • YouTube TV
Director
Peter Jackson
Starring
Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) poster
IMDb9.094%

As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the outcome--one member of the Fellowship of the Ring is revealed as the noble heir to the throne of the Kings of Men. Yet, the sole hope for triumph over evil lies with a brave hobbit, Frodo, who, accompanied by his loyal friend Sam and the hideous, wretched Gollum, ventures deep into the very dark heart of Mordor on his seemingly impossible quest to destroy the Ring of Power.​

Where to watch, trailer & similar movies →
Stream on
  • HBO Max
  • YouTube TV
Director
Peter Jackson
Starring
Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen

Which order should you watch them in?

Release order is the safest choice for a first watch — it's how audiences met the story, and later films assume you've seen the earlier ones. Streaming availability is US only and reflects providers at time of publish.

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