Summary
Lord of the Ringshas become one of the great fantasy franchises of all time, with its global appeal and high quality making it stand out in the media landscape throughout many different mediums. Adapted from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Middle-earth movies and the Amazon Prime Video showThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerhave sustained the success of the author’s famed work. The epic fantasy saga has become a behemoth in modern pop culture.
With the success of the movies that visionary director Peter Jackson helmed, Middle-earth breathed fresh air into Hollywood. On release,TheLord of the RingsandThe Hobbittrilogies grossed hundreds of millions of dollars. They had a tremendous impact on audiences, making fantasy a valuable genre in cinema. Among the films, these are the ones that raked in the most at the box office.
49%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
64%
The first ever Middle-earth movie,The Lord of the Rings,first arrived onthe big screen as a low-budget animated film. The movie flew under the radar for many. It focuses on the journey of Frodo Baggins, who must deliver and destroy the dark lord Sauron’s ring at Mount Doom. The hobbit is accompanied by a group of eight who engage in battle and chaos to aid his perilous mission.
The animated movie combines the contents ofThe Fellowship of the RingandThe Two Towers, condensing a lot of story into a 2-hour 12-minute runtime. This pacing makes the movie feel rushed, resulting in the books' material being squandered. Considering that the fantasy genre was still considered niche in the 1970s, the audience and critical response were unsurprising. The fantasy boom didn’t come until the beginning of the 21st century, whenLOTRprofoundly impacted audiences.
92%
95%
At the start of the 21st century, Jackson delivered the impressive feat ofThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, marking the start of a historic Hollywood franchise. When Frodo andthe Fellowship begin their journeyto destroy the One Ring in Mordor, the group embarks on a battle of survival of the fittest. They take on tricky terrain and otherworldly foes such as the Balrog in Jackson’s thrilling first entry.
The Fellowship of the Ringopened the door for fantasy to make an imprint on society. The introduction of hobbits, elves, and wizards were all a refreshing inclusion in pop culture. Despite being the lowest gross of the franchise, it’s worth noting that the property at the time of release was not as popular in society and pop culture. However, the movies' immediate success led to all following Middle-earth films prospering.
Continuing on their adventure, Frodo and Samwise Gamgee venture forward without the aid of their companions. The pair encounter the ring-obsessed Gollum, who takes center stage as he leads Frodo and Samwise on their path towards Mount Doom. Building onThe Fellowship of the Ring’smass consumption,Lord of the Rings: The Two Towerscontinued its predecessor’s sense of scale. Its grandeur and heightened expectations contributed to its financial success.
The Two Towers’Battle Of Helm’s Deep showcased the potential of the fantasy genre, portraying an iconic battle from the books that fans loved. The battle and theaddition of favorite charactersonly added to the popularity of the emerging franchise. The box office jump in only a year showed the momentum theLOTRfilms were beginning to achieve.
74%
85%
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaugmarked the continuation of the Bilbo Baggins adventureand the introduction of Smaug, the main antagonist ofThe Hobbit. As Bilbo and his party continue their mission, the group endures conflict and warfare. Bilbo comes face-to-face with the dreaded dragon that resides within the Lonely Mountain, resulting in an encounter that many view as a highlight of the trilogy.
Unlike theLOTRtrilogy, which increased its total from movie to movie,The Desolation of Smaugsaw a decrease in gross afterAn Unexpected Journey.General fan sentiment failed to resonate withThe Hobbitcompared to the standards ofLOTR. Many of the struggles came down to production issues. The exit of director Guillermo Del Toro beforeThe Hobbittrilogy got underway threw a spanner in the works, altering the creative process drastically. With the lack of content for a trilogy and a chaotic production causing a drop-off in quality, less fanfare and hype was built forThe Desolation of Smaug, though the movie still succeeded financially.
59%
The Hobbittrilogy’s final film,The Battle of the Five Armies, brings Bilbo’s adventure to a dramatic and tension-filled end with a large-scale battlebetween elves, dwarfs, and orcsoutside the Lonely Mountain. At the film’s climax, Thorin Oakenshield defeats Azog the Defiler, but succumbs to fatal injuries. However, Bilbo and Thorin are able to see eye to eye in an emotional conclusion.
Despite bringing backLOTRfavorites for the story’s climax, such as Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, and Legolas,The Battle of the Five Armiesfailed to join the billion-dollar club. AsThe Hobbittrilogy went on, the anticipation and hype decreased with each film despite it reaching its conclusion.The Battle of the Five Armieswas panned for lacking the gravitas ofLOTR, leaving the filmfailing to reach its potential critically and commercially.
83%
Upon release,An Unexpected Journeywas the first Middle-earth movie in 8 years. The film was released to mass anticipation and excitement from fans of theLOTRtrilogy and Tolkien’s work. Marking the start of Bilbo’s journey across Middle-earth, the character is joined by Gandalf, Thorin, and a legion of dwarfs as the party heads to reclaim the dwarfs' home from the dragon, Smaug, in a dangerous adventure filled with fun and camaraderie.
Due to the success of theLOTRtrilogy,An Unexpected Journeybecame a significant hit monetarily despite the drop in standards. Fans were ecstatic at the return of Middle-earth andpop culture icons Gandalf and Saruman.
94%
86%
The finale of theLOTRtrilogy,The Return of the King,became a landmark for cinema and fantasy. It is nowrecognized as an integral piece of fiction, along with its predecessors.The Return of the Kingsaw Frodo and Samwise destroy the One Ring and Gollum at Mount Doom,leading to Sauron and Mordor’s demise. Meanwhile, the heir of Isildur, Aragorn, led his people to victory in a battle that saw tensions and emotions run high for audiences, with its climax leading to the destruction of all evil in Middle-earth.
The Return of the Kingreceived widespread acclaim, becoming the highest-grossing Middle-earth movie due. It marked the climax of a multi-hour story that reinvigorated the fantasy genre, making fantasy cool in pop culture and society. On top of winning Best Picture at the Oscars, a first for a fantasy film,The Return of the Kingbecame a phenomenon like no other, pushing boundaries that helped audiences embrace fantasy.
