To remember:
- Two trilogies to explore: Tolkien's cinematic saga consists of two trilogies, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings", to be viewed either in release order or in chronological order to respect the timeline of the Middle-earth universe.
- Viewing options : For a faithful follow-up of the internal story, start with "The Hobbit" (2012-2014) then "The Lord of the Rings" (2001-2003), or follow the order of cinema release to respect the natural progression of the films as conceived by Peter Jackson.
- Extending the universe: The "Ring of Power" series is set in the Second Age, before the events of the films, and enriches the background to the creation of the Rings of Power, providing an essential preface to the film saga.
Imagine plunging into a world where every step leads you through ancient lands, populated by Elves, Dwarves and Orcs, where the battle for Middle-earth rages on. Welcome to the epic universe of Tolkien, a saga that has captivated millions of fans worldwide.
But here's the question that divides even the most ardent supporters: in which order to watch The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit? We'll take you through the authentic timeline, from the peaceful Shire to the dark depths of the Lonely Mountain, where Smaug the dragon jealously guards his treasure.
With this article, get ready for an unexpected journey through films and series, where community is formed, kingdoms rise, and a little hobbit answers the call of adventure.
Are you ready to follow Frodo, the wizard Gandalf and Aragorn on their quest to destroy the One Ring? Let the magic begin!
What's the right order to watch Lord of the Rings or The Lord of the Rings?
The cinematic saga set in the Lord of the Rings universe is made up of two trilogieswhose Hobbit and the lord of the rings. To help you immerse yourself in Peter Jackson's work, discover two ways to watch The Lord of the Rings:
Lord of the Rings order by cinema release date
To watch the "Lord of the Rings" films in order, follow these steps the order of release at the cinema, which is the most commonly followed. The films are adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's books, but were released in a different order to their internal story. Here's how to watch them 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)
Cinema release order reflects the chronological order of the plot, and is widely considered the best way to watch movies, as it follows the natural progression of the story and characters.
View the saga in chronological order:
However, if you are a unconditional fan and you wish to follow the internal chronological order of the Middle-earth story, you can choose to watch the films starting with The Hobbit and then in that order:
- The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2012
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 2013.
- The Hobbit: The Battle of the 5 Armies in 2014.
- Lord of the Rings: The ring community in 2001.
- Lord of the Rings: Both rounds in 2002.
- Lord of the Rings: The return of the king.
Apart from these films, there's also the TV series that fans have been waiting for: The Ring of Power. It is among the series available on Amazon Prime video since September 2022.
This series takes place during the Second Age of Middle-earth, when the 19 rings were forged and given to the Elves, Dwarves and Humans. By the way, if you want to put the Amazon Prime Lord of the Rings series in this ranking, you'll have to see it at the very beginning before any of the other films.
The cinematic saga of : "The Lord of the Rings: everything you need to know
Before you start watching The Lord of the Rings film saga, you should know that this saga has a total of 6 films. Here are all the Lord of the Rings films:
The ring community 2001
This is the first film in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, written by Peter Jackson and released in 2001. The film begins with the story of theSingle Ringan extremely powerful artifact forged by the Dark Lord Sauron.
The Ring has been lost for many years, but now it's here. discovered by Hobbit Bilbo Bagginswho passes it on to his nephew, Frodo. The latter realizes its evil nature and decides to destroy it by going to Mount Doom.
The two Towers:
In this second film, he is considered the best film in the saga. Saruman, the white wizard who has allied himself with the Saurons and is attempting to dominate and invade Rohan. Sam and Frodo continue their adventure in entering the land of Mordor to get rid of the ring with Gollum.
These three companions continue the search for Merry and Pippin, captured by the Orcs. They then become involved in the defense of Helm's Deep fortress during an assault by a large army of Orcs.
Rohan will fight for its survival against Saruman in the battle of Helm's Deep. Merry and Pippin, the other hobbits, escape from the Orcs and find refuge with the Ents, guardian creatures of the forest.
Return of the King:
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the third and final film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The film was released in 2003, shortly after the first two installments, and has won numerous awards, including 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.
The story of "The Return of the King" continues the epic of Frodo Baggins and of his companionswho seek to destroy the One Ring by throwing it into Mount Doom, where it was forged.
Frodo and Sam continue their dangerous journey to Mount Doomwhile the Ring exerts more and more influence on Frodo. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf and others lead the army of Gondor in a memorable battle to defend the city of Minas Tirith against Sauron's forces.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The film was released in 2012. This new story revolves around the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who leads a peaceful life in the Shire until he is visited by the wizard Gandalf.
Gandalf encourages him to join an expedition led by Dwarf Thorin Oakshield to reclaim the dwarf kingdom of Erebor, which has been conquered by the dragon Smaug.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Released in 2013, Peter Jackson continues the story with the same main characters. Bilbo and the dwarf companies are face many obstacles and to hazardsincluding Orcs and Giant Spiders.
On their journey, the company of Dwarves crosses the forest of Mirkwood, where they are captured by the Elves. Bilbo must use his wits to free them.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
This film was released in 2014 and brings to a close the epic story of Bilbo Baggins and the Dwarves. They are forced to fight a series of factions to prevent the Lonely Mountain from falling into the hands of darkness. Orcs, dwarves and humans prepare for a great battle and Bilbo plays a crucial role in mediating conflicts and preventing all-out war. The film ends with Bilbo's return to the Shire, where he finds his home plundered by the auction of his possessions.
What does The Lord of the Rings have to do with The Hobbit?
Usually, the question: "In what order should I watch The Lord of the Rings?" is followed by the famous question: "What does The Lord of the Rings have to do with The Hobbit?
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are two fabulous stories by J.R.R Tolkien set in the same fantasy world.
Timeline:
The Hobbit is actually a prequel of The Lord of the Rings. This means that the story of The Hobbit takes place Before The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit is basically JRR Tolkien's story for children. This explains the lighter tone chosen for this work compared to that of the literary work "The Lord of the Rings".
Story content
The Hobbit follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (or Bilbo Baggins, played by Martin Freeman/Ian Holm) and thirteen dwarves. They are searching for a treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug. It takes place some 70 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings.
Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings follows the adventures of Frodo Baggins (or Frodo Baggins) and the Fellowship of the Ring. Their goal is to destroy the One Ring and defeat Lord Sauron.
Adaptation
The Hobbit was adapted into a trilogy film series directed by Peter Jackson between 2012 and 2014, and based on j.r.r tolkien's 1937 book of the same name.
The Lord of the Rings has also been adapted into a film trilogy by Peter Jackson from 2001 to 2003, and is based on three volumes of the book of the same name, published from 1954 to 1955.
Characters
Although the main heroes are different (Bilbo in The Hobbit and Frodo in The Lord of the Rings), there are familiar characters in both sagas.
- Take the mysterious Gollum, who appears in both trilogies.
- Likewise, Frodo also appears in The Hobbit, although his role is less central.
In short, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are interconnected stories, offering a deep and fascinating dive into Middle-earth, inhabited by fantastic creatures, saved from magic and heroic adventures!
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