How To Watch The Lord Of The Rings Movies At Home
by Jaron Pak · /Film(Welcome to Where to Watch, which provides a clear and simple answer to the question, "Hey, where can I watch this thing?" In this edition: All 10 "Lord of the Rings" movies that are out there to stream on the interweb.)
J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy has remained a popular element of pop culture for over half a century. While there have been two adaptations (and really only one authoritative one) in that time, there have been prequels and animated attempts to convert Tolkien's iconic world to the screen, too. We've gathered up all of the officially titled "Lord of the Rings" films, prequels, extended editions, and animated iterations (along with a streaming addition) and hunted down where you can watch them on the Internet right now. Happy streaming!
The Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson's trilogy - theatrical version)
Where to stream: HBO Max (direct subscription, as well as through Prime Video)
Trilogy includes:
- "The Fellowship of the Ring"
- "The Two Towers"
- "The Return of the King"
This is the bread and butter of the cinematic Middle-earth experience. A quarter of a century ago, Peter Jackson's trilogy set the benchmark, not just for Tolkien adaptations, but for all 21st-century fantasy films that followed. These movies have so much staying power that they still made nearly $11 million when they were rereleased in theaters for a 25th anniversary event earlier this year.
Of course, if you missed that theatrical window, you can still stream them at home — and HBO Max is the subscription you want to get (or you can get HBO through your Prime Video account). That gives you access to all three theatrical versions of Jackson's films, so you can watch the Fellowship of the Ring assemble, follow the action at Helm's Deep, and traipse on to Mount Doom itself without any streaming interruptions.
The Lord of the Rings (Peter Jackson - extended editions)
Where to stream: HBO Max (direct subscription, as well as through Prime Video)
Trilogy includes:
- "The Fellowship of the Ring" (Extended Edition)
- "The Two Towers" (Extended Edition)
- "The Return of the King" (Extended Edition)
Serious fans know that the 558-minute runtime of the theatrical versions of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy is far too short a time to spend among such excellent and admirable films. If you concur, you can tack on nearly three more hours of viewing time to the experience by watching the extended editions. If you go with that plan, HBO Max is your best bet once again. You can get all three extended editions ready to stream. Before you settle down for all 726 minutes of extended edition glory, though, make sure to brush up on the "Lord of the Rings" extended scenes that changed the story the most compared to the original theatrical version.
The Lord of the Rings (1978 animation)
Where to rent: Prime Video
This next one is the first time we have to wander from the subscription format. Ralph Bakshi's 1978 film "The Lord of the Rings" is a trippy animated Middle-earth experience. It smashes much of the story from "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" into a single 2-hour-and-13-minute experience. Odd, rushed, whimsical, magical, epic, a bit off — there are a lot of words for this one. It doesn't change the fact that, when it came out, it blew up the box office to the tune of over $30 million against a $4 million budget.
Of course, you can't see it in theaters now. You can't even stream it at the moment. This one, you have to rent or buy from the Prime Video archives. The good news is that it doesn't seem to be in high demand, which means most people can access it through a rental for just a few dollars and a purchase for a few dollars more.
The Return of the King (1980 animation)
Where to buy: Barnes and Noble and Amazon Prime
Now we come to the most obscure "Lord of the Rings" film of them all. Directors Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass (of Rankin and Bass fame) made a haphazard, confusing, and uniquely distinctive movie that followed the 1978 animated film "The Lord of the Rings" two years later. What's important to understand with this one is that it isn't a sequel to that first film. Instead, it's an independent story that is meant to follow on from Rankin and Bass's "The Hobbit" made-for-television special, which aired a few years earlier.
The convoluted attempt to tell the entire "The Lord of the Rings" story in under 100 minutes misfires at almost every step (which is why it falls so low in so many rankings of "The Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" movies). But it's a Middle-earth staple, nonetheless, and something every Tolkien diehard fan needs to experience at least once. The only issue? You can't really get your hands on this one easily. It isn't available to stream as of this writing, and you can't even rent or buy it on Prime Video. You can try to find an overpriced used copy (take your pick between DVDs and VHS tapes) on the Amazon Prime marketplace. You can also get a physical DVD copy from Barnes and Noble for around $20. That's about it, though, when it comes to viewing options for this all-but-lost piece of the Tolkien catalog.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (anime)
Where to stream: HBO Max (direct subscription, as well as through Prime Video)
This is where things start to get a little hazy as far as what a bona fide "Lord of the Rings" movie is. In the case of "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim," the first half of that title seems to signal to fair-weather fans that this is, indeed, connected to Peter Jackson's original story. And while that's true, the reality is that this is really its own stand-alone prequel — one that takes place hundreds of years before "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." Still, we get some fun origin story stuff behind the Rohirrim and Helm's Deep, which is fun. If you're planning on adding this to your next "Lord of the Rings" streaming marathon, HBO Max is your destination once again. Make sure to brush up on your Third Age trivia and review the things every fan needs to know before watching Hera and company defend Rohan in this fun, one-off anime.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Where to stream: Prime Video
This last one is even more of a stretch. "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is another prequel whose title blatantly signals its connection to Tolkien's most popular Middle-earth story. This also isn't a movie. It's an episodic story set several thousand years before Frodo and Bilbo are born. Heck, the One Ring isn't even forged when it starts.
Nevertheless, this one falls into the "Lord of the Rings" streaming options on a technicality. Fortunately, it's also one of the easiest ones to find. "The Rings of Power" is a Prime Video production, making it a slam-dunk bet that you'll find it on Prime Video, not just now but any time. Keep in mind that we're talking about a serialized story with this one. It isn't a one-day or even a weekend viewing affair (unless you're super committed and don't care about sleep). Give yourself some extra breathing room to get through each season of eight one-hour episodes.