A Lord of the Rings films timeline covering the trilogy's production and premieres, Return of the King's 11 Oscars, the Hobbit films, Amazon's Rings of Power, and new Middle-earth projects.
Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy turned an unfilmable novel into a record-breaking cinematic landmark. This timeline follows the New Zealand shoot, all three releases, the 11-Oscar sweep, the Hobbit trilogy, and Middle-earth's streaming-era return.
After Miramax balks at two films, New Line Cinema takes on Jackson's adaptation - and asks for three films instead.
All three films shoot simultaneously across New Zealand starting 11 October 1999 - one of cinema's most ambitious productions.
Principal photography ends 22 December 2000 after 438 days, with pick-ups continuing each year through 2003.
The first film premieres at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 10 December 2001, opening worldwide days later.
From 13 nominations, Fellowship takes four Oscars at the 74th Academy Awards, including cinematography and score.
The first extended cut arrives on home video, beginning a beloved tradition of longer editions for all three films.
The second film premieres at New York's Ziegfeld Theatre on 5 December 2002, with Gollum and Helm's Deep stunning audiences.
Andy Serkis's performance-capture Gollum in The Two Towers sets a new standard for CGI characters.
The Two Towers wins Academy Awards for sound editing and visual effects.
The finale premieres at Wellington's Embassy Theatre on 1 December 2003 before a crowd of over 100,000 fans.
The Return of the King becomes only the second film ever to cross $1 billion worldwide.
Return of the King wins all 11 categories it is nominated in - tying Ben-Hur and Titanic - including Best Picture and Director.
The three films gross about $2.99 billion worldwide on a combined $281 million budget.
Jackson returns to Middle-earth with the first Hobbit film, premiering in Wellington on 28 November 2012.
The second Hobbit film opens in December 2013, with Benedict Cumberbatch voicing the dragon Smaug.
The final Hobbit film closes the six-film Middle-earth saga in December 2014.
Amazon acquires television rights for about $250 million on 13 November 2017, committing to a major series.
Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuts 1 September 2022 as one of the most expensive series ever made.
Warner Bros. announces a new live-action film, The Hunt for Gollum, with Andy Serkis directing and Jackson producing.
The anime feature The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim opens in theaters in December 2024.
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