'The Lord Of The Rings' Films Returning To Theaters In 2026 For 25th Anniversary

TV & Film

Dec 7

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring will turn 25 years old next year, and to celebrate the milestone, Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. are re-releasing the extended editions of Peter Jackson’s trilogy in DBOX from January 16-19, and standard formats from January 25-27. Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. have also released a new trailer and logo for the anniversary release of the trilogy. There will also be limited-edition goodies available for moviegoers at select theaters. AMC will feature limited-edition popcorn buckets with maps of Middle-earth, and other participating theaters, including Regal, will feature buckets with a “One-Ring” design.

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, was originally released in 2001, 2002, and 2003, earning nearly $3 billion worldwide. The films, starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, and Andy Serkis, were equally well-received by fans and critics. The trilogy’s final chapter, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, won a whopping 11 Academy Awards, tied for the most with Titanic and Ben-Hur, including a Best Director Award for Peter Jackson and Best Picture. The extended editions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy have a combined runtime of over 11 hours. With the re-release of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the return of Star Wars to theaters next year, cinephiles everywhere may finally have something to celebrate amid the latest news of Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros.