The Middle-earth Series owned and produced by New Line Cinema, Amazon Studios, Rankin / Bass Productions, and Fantasty Films.

One ring to rule them all. Encompassing two trilogies and several iterations, both live action and animated, the Middle-earth Series is more often known by the names of the novels upon which they are based, specifically The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The cinematic versions of these books are relatively faithful to the novels of J.R.R. Tolkein, though with some notable differences, particularly in regards to The Hobbit.

Listed below are two different versions of the Lord of the Rings story. The first is the live-action adaptation by Peter Jackson. Tacked on is The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which despite not being officially linked to the movies has enough similarities to fit in the chronology. Include or ignore The Rings of Power as you see fit.

The second version is the animated 'trilogy' from the late 70s and early 80s. The Hobbit and The Return of the King were both produced by Rankin / Bass Productions, while The Lord of the Rings was produced by Ralph Bakshi and Fantasy Films. Stylistically The Lord of the Rings is very different than the other two films, but it's the only animated feature from the era that fills the hole in the middle of the story. Be prepared for some dramatic tonal differences if you plan to watch these three films in sequence.

The novels and short stories based on Middle-earth will receive their own page. There have been enough video games based on the Middle-earth Series to warrant their own page, as well.

 In-Universe Chronological Order - Live-Action Films
Release Order