'The Lord of Rings' Movies in Order: How to Watch the Films Chronologically

• Release date: December 6, 2012
• Directed by: Peter Jackson
• Cast: Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Elijah Wood
• Runtime: 2hr 49 mins
• Box office: $1.017 Billion

We commence with 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Directed by Peter Jackson and starring an elite cast that includes Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Elijah Wood and more—An Unexpected Journey takes place some 60 odd years before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In it, we see a young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) who's intent on living his most simplistic life before the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) comes along and convinces him to join Thorin (Richard Armitage) and the gang to help reclaim the kingdom of Erebor. That task, however, is easier said than done as Bilbo has to learn the ropes and tricks of the trade while battling Gollum (Andy Serkis) in a journey that's far more complex than what he ever considered possible.

A box office hit, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey grossed over $1 billion worldwide upon its release.

• Release date: December 13, 2013
• Directed by: Peter Jackson
• Cast: Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lily
• Runtime: 2 hr 41 mins
• Box office: $959 million

A familiar face joined the Hobbit saga in 2013's The Desolation of Smaug when Legolas entered the mix alongside Tauriel (Evangeline Lily). In The Desolation of Smaug, we see a Bilbo Baggins who now has possession of the magical sought-after ring who's full capabilities are still unknown. Bilbo, Thorin, and the rest of the crew continue their trek towards The Lonely Mountain, fending off every object that gets in their way in the hopes of taking the reigns of the mountain back from Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch). While on their quest, the gang is also being followed by Azog the Defiler and his son Bolg, as we ultimately end up getting left with a cliffhanger regarding Smaug, who has left for Esgaroth.

While The Desolation of Smaug grossed slightly less than its predecessor, the film still pulled in $959 million worldwide at the box office.

• Release date: December 4, 2014
• Directed by: Peter Jackson
• Cast: Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian McKellen, Luke Evans, Evangeline Lily
• Runtime: 2 hr 24 mins
• Box office: $962.2 million

Personally, I think this is the most riveting and dynamic of all the Hobbit films. We’ve now reached the point where Bilbo and co are going to have to battle for the Lonely Mountain and keep it from falling into the wrong hands. You have Thorin’s betrayal in the quest for seeking out the Arkenstone, the Orcs that have been sent out by Sauron, and intense battle scenes and cinematography on display at all times. While the first two films delivered in that regard, it didn’t come together as precise as what Battle of the Five Armies did. You also get a final conclusion to the questions that have been presented thus far with Thorin taking out Azog but dying in the process, and Bilbo ultimately bidding farewell and returning to the quiet life he once desired.

A nice ribbon to tie it all together, and while the film received mixed reviews from critics, it’s still commanded $962.2 billion.

• Release date: December 19, 2001
• Directed by: Peter Jackson
• Cast: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Austin, Liv Tyler
• Runtime: 2 hr 58 mins
• Box office: $892 million

Now we’ve arrived at the Lord of the Rings trilogy which most of us are familiar with. Here we are introduced to a Frodo (Elijah Wood) who has become the latest to inherit the Ring, which at this point has been lost and searched for centuries. This ring is lethal in the sense that it can destroy the entire world and  give Sauron a lot of power if he were to get his hands on it, but at the same time, the ring can only be destroyed on his land—which presents a challenge for Frodo and the seven others with the quest to destroy it. Filled with beautiful scenery, stunning shots, a magnificent score, and great performances by the cast, you can rest assured that this is one of the best and most complete films you’ll ever watch.

This first film took in a total of $892.2 million worldwide at the box office.

• Release date: December 18, 2002
• Directed by: Peter Jackson
• Cast: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis, Miranda Otto, Karl Urban, Liv Tyler
• Runtime: 2 hr 59 mins
• Box office: $949 million

Still on a mission to destroy the Ring, Gollum becomes a part of the Frodo/Sam (Sean Austin) crew as they are determined to prevent this Ring from winding up in the wrong hands. Of course things don’t go according to plan as Frodo and Sam are captured by Faramir’s rangers, and Gollum gets into a world of trouble where he has to be rescued himself, but again we get intense fight scenes backed with wonderful imagery and a haunting score. Depending on who you ask, this second film might be the favorite amongst LotR lovers, and we certainly can’t disagree with anybody who makes it such. Taking home $949 million— The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was another major hit for the franchise, and the highest-grossing film of 2002.

• Release date: December 17, 2003
• Directed by: Peter Jackson
• Cast: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Sean Astin, Karl Urban, Viggo Mortensen, Andy Serkis
• Runtime: 3 hr 21 mins
• Box office: $1.156 Billion

That said, film number three is regarded as one of the most influential films to ever be created as it won all eleven of the Academy Awards it was nominated for—including “Best Picture.” If you want to talk about leaving things on a high notes/leaving at your best, The Return of the King is a perfect example of that very concept as it took the groundwork established by the first two films and built upon that to deliver an even more brilliant film for all the reasons we’ve raved about with its predecessors. After a hellacious journey in the second—Frodo, Sam, and Gollum are back once more to destroy the Ring as they head to Mount Doom, but rather than uniting, they get torn apart and pitted against each other.

There’s not much more that can be said without ruining the film in its entirety, but we can say that you’ll instantly understand why this movie cleaned up at the Academy Awards and box office, where it commanded $1.156 billion.