Lord of the Rings watch order
The Middle-earth question is really one choice: The Lord of the Rings first, or The Hobbit first because it happens earlier. The answer for a first watch is The Lord of the Rings trilogy, in order. It is the stronger work, it was made first, and The Hobbit films lean on it rather than the other way around.
Both complete orders are below: release order for a first watch, timeline order for a rewatch of the whole saga from the Second Age forward.
Release order
The default, and the order the films were built to be seen in.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Film
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Film
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Film
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Film
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) Film
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) Film
- The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) Series
- The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) Film animated
Timeline order
Middle-earth history front to back, for a rewatch.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) Series the Second Age, thousands of years before the films
- The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) Film animated, about two centuries before The Hobbit
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) Film
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) Film
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) Film
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) Film
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) Film
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) Film
Keep your place
I Like Movies, the free Android app behind this page, carries a curated Middle-earth track: the same catalogue as above, in watch order, with your progress marked per film and per episode. Ratings and a watchlist come along for everything else you watch.
Questions people ask
Should I watch The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings first?
The Lord of the Rings first, even though The Hobbit happens earlier in the story. The trilogy stands entirely on its own and is the saga at its best; The Hobbit films work better afterwards, as a return to a world you already care about.
Do I need to watch The Rings of Power before the films?
No. It is set thousands of years before the films and assumes you already know them. Watch it after the trilogies, or alongside a timeline rewatch as the opening chapter.
Are the extended editions worth it?
For The Lord of the Rings, yes, and many consider them the definitive versions once you know the films. For a first watch the theatrical cuts are tighter. Either way the order above does not change.
Are more Middle-earth films coming?
The Hunt for Gollum, a live-action film with Andy Serkis, has been announced for December 2027. This page will pick it up when it arrives.
More watch orders: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Dune, Wizarding World, Fast & Furious, Alien, Dragon Ball, Naruto, Neon Genesis Evangelion. Or browse every guide and comparison.