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Ever rewatched a movie and spotted a familiar face for a second that you completely forgot or completely ignored because you hadn’t even noticed them earlier? Well, just as a long cameo contributes to the story of the movie, sometimes these unnoticeable cameos can also contribute by becoming a topic of discussion later, making us rewatch the movies to spot the celebs.

Cameos are often like hidden Easter eggs, and sometimes they can uplift the mood of viewers if they are carefully dropped at some dull moments of the movies. Sometimes, even Hollywood’s A-listers pop up in roles so subtly or in a disguise that fans completely forget they were there, especially when so much is happening on the screen. Let’s take a look at some of these cameos that people almost forgot over the years.

1. Lin-Manuel Miranda in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) Lin-Manuel Miranda...

Exclusive: MGM+ has rounded out its cast for upcoming series Robin Hood, starring Jack Patten and Lauren McQueen, with six in recurring roles. Richard Lintern (Silent Witness), Erica Ford (The Nevers), Ryan Gage (Choose or Die), Oscar Salem (Vigil), and Serbian actors Miloš Timotijević (In the Land of Blood and Honey) and Tamara Radovanović (The Arc) join previously announced main cast Lydia Peckham, Steven Waddington, Marcus Fraser, Angus Castle-Doughty and Henry Rowley, and Sean Bean, who recurs. Production is currently underway in Serbia.

From Lionsgate TV and showrunner John Glenn, Robin Hood is described as a sweeping, romantic adventure, a modern take of the classic tale that brings historical authenticity, psychological depth, and a heightened focus on the relationship between Rob and Marian.

In the series, following the Norman invasion of England, Rob (Patten) – a Saxon forester’s son – and Marian (McQueen) the daughter of a Norman lord – fall in...

The Lord of the Rings star Cate Blanchett shares how she almost made a surprising cameo in The Hobbit as a different character. Following the massive success of the three Lord of the Rings movies in the early 2000s, director Peter Jackson returned to J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth in 2012 with the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Serving as the first installment of three that tell the story of Tolkien's The Hobbit novel, the film features Martin Freeman in the lead role as Bilbo Baggins, with Blanchett returning briefly as Galadriel.

During a recent appearance on the Condé Nast Traveler YouTube channel, Blanchett and her Black Bag costar Michael Fassbender discuss Blanchett's time in Middle-earth. While reminiscing about filming one of the Lord of the Rings movies, Blanchett reveals that she asked Jackson to return as a bearded dwarf for a cameo, in addition to her planned return as Galadriel.

The Lord of the Rings has become a timeless tale with characters that are as iconic as the story itself. But what if the characters we know and love were actually very different in their early drafts? J.R.R. Tolkien’s process of shaping the story was an evolving one, and many key characters underwent major changes before becoming the figures we recognize today.

From Aragorn’s humble beginnings to Boromir’s betrayal taking a much darker turn, the early drafts of The Lord of the Rings were full of surprises.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | Credits: New Line Cinema

Even Treebeard, a central figure in the story, almost ended up as an enemy instead of the wise Ent we admire. These shifts played a major role in shaping the epic saga we now treasure.

How different would The Lord of the Rings be if J.

There are plenty of prolonged cinematic experiences out there these days, but few of them have maintained their enduring appeal quite as long as Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Available in both long theatrical and extreme extended edition formats, binging through "The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers," and "The Return of the King" from sundown to sunset has become a favorite past-time for Tolkien fans everywhere (including yours truly).

If you're planning on a marathon soon, you may be wondering just how long the experience will be. How many meals do you have to account for? How many bathroom breaks will you need? How early should you start?

Let's start with the big picture. If you binge the theatrical version of the Middle-earth trilogy back to back, the full runtime is a butt-numbing 558 minutes long. That's nine hours and 17 minutes, for those of you counting at home.

"The Lord of the Rings" is a franchise that is beloved by critics and fans alike. Films set in Middle-earth tend to do well at the box office, gather streaming steam without trouble, and are considered top rewatching material by many. However, a recent addition to the cinematic Tolkienian canon has officially ranked on Rotten Tomatoes as a blight on the otherwise impressive "Lord of the Rings" track record.

"The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" has set a new "Lord of the Rings" franchise record low with a 48% on the Tomatometer. This is the critical consensus, and it has a lot to say for a Warner Bros. project that had the makings of greatness but couldn't quite stick the landing.

"The War of the Rohirrim" was the first foray into the anime format for a Middle-earth film. The story takes place centuries before "The Lord of the Rings...

It's been many decades since J.R.R. Tolkien first published The Hobbit, creating one of the most beloved fantasy franchises. When Peter Jackson decided to adapt The Lord of the Rings novels into an epic trilogy, it was a significant risk, but it paid off in the end and resulted in another trilogy based on The Hobbit. However, the Lotr universe hasn't concluded yet, as The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will bring one of the best secondary characters of the franchise to the forefront. Gollum, played by Andy Serkis, is a complex figure in Lotr.

Gollum is enthralled by the One Ring and at war with himself throughout the story. He lives for many years and impacts the lives of both Bilbo and Frodo when they embark on their adventures. As time has progressed, it's clear that there's a deeper interest in Gollum and his origin story,...

Quick Links Haleth's Father United a Scattered Clan Haleth Was a Strong Warrior and a Stronger Leader Haleth Was Remembered For Millennia

In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and the rest of his legendarium, women typically did not fight, but there were some notable exceptions throughout Middle-earth's history. The most famous by far was Éowyn, the niece of King Théoden of Rohan. She disguised herself as a male Rohirrim to participate in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. She ended up dueling and slaying the dreaded Witch-king of Angmar, thus avenging her uncle. Éowyn's story was a highlight of The Lord of the Rings, and many adaptations of Tolkien's work have introduced new female warriors to continue her legacy. For example, Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug invented the Elven warrior Tauriel. She was the Captain of the Guard in the Woodland Realm, and...

One of the most important details about The Lord of the Rings' Gandalf is his staff, which he changes multiple times throughout the movies. Gandalf is one of the most vital characters in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, with Ian McKellen playing the role in all six films. McKellen consistently delivers one of The Lord of the Rings' best performances and successfully brings one of J.R.R. Tolkien's most important characters to life.

Throughout Gandalf's many appearances, his staff is one of his defining features. The staff is not just used as a way to wield and enhance his magic, with Gandalf being capable of performing magic without a staff. Gandalf's staff has tremendous symbolic value, signifying his authority as a wizard and as one of The Lord of the Rings' Maiar. During his time as Gandalf the Grey and as Gandalf the White,...

Quick Links Gandalf Used the Staff of a Different Wizard Gandalf's Staff Replacements Went Unexplained in The Lord of the Rings Gandalf Brought His Final Staff to the Undying Lands

One of Gandalf's most recognizable traits in The Lord of the Rings was his use of a wooden staff, which he employed both as a walking stick and as a tool to assist in his magic spells. It was such an important aspect of his character that it became part of his name; Gandalf meant "Staff Elf" or "Wand Elf" in Old Norse. But in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies, Gandalf did not carry just one staff. Throughout his time in Middle-earth, he went through five different staves. Chronologically, Gandalf made his earliest appearance in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and this film introduced his first known staff. It was a simple wooden branch,...

A new Lord of the Rings movie reaches another record box office low for Peter Jackson's universe in its second weekend.

Per Box Office Mojo, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim suffered the worst second-weekend drop of the franchise with 72.1%. Previously, the worst second-weekend drop was The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug with 57.2%.

More to come...

Source: Box Office Mojo

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The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim 7/10

Set before the events of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is an animated action-adventure fantasy film that follows a King of Rohan named Helm Hammerhand. When his home comes under siege by Dunlendings, Hammerhand prepares himself and his allies to fight back against them, with the war leading to the...

In 1937, English author J.R.R. Tolkien penned a children’s book called “The Hobbit,” or “There and Back Again,” which ignited what would become one of the most popular franchises of all time across books, film and television. That means there’s a whole lot to watch, so we’ve put together a handy guide for anyone wondering how to watch all the “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” movies in chronological or release date order.

Tolkien followed the success of “The Hobbit,” which features a Hobbit named Bilbo Baggins and his adventures in the Third Age of the fictional, mystical world of Middle Earth, with a sequel series called “The Lord of the Rings.” Set 60 years after “The Hobbit,” “The Lord of the Rings” follows an ensemble of different characters traveling to defeat the evil One Ring. The “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” books later spawned some of the...

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is seeing mixed reviews and scores, which signals a disappointing streak for the Lord of the Rings cinematic franchise. War of the Rohirrim's story and medium has the potential to herald a new era for J. R. R. Tolkiens' epic fantasy saga, testing the waters for a possible demand for more Lord of the Rings anime movies recounting standalone tales of Middle-earth. The movie depicts Héra (Gaia Wise), daughter of the King of Rohan, leading her people during a terrible war, centuries before some famous Hobbits leave the Shire.

War of the Rohirrim is turning out to be one of the lower-ranked Lord of the Rings movies, also falling generally below the acclaim of the prequel TV show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. While die-hard Tolkien fans seem to be nonetheless pleased, there is no denying...

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is struggling on Rotten Tomatoes. Animated in a traditional Japanese anime style, the movie is set relatively early in The Lord of the Rings' timeline, taking place 183 years before Frodo's adventures. It depicts the war between Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox) and the Dunlendings. Alongside Cox, the movie stars Gaia Wise as Héra, Luke Pasqualino as Wulf, and Miranda Otto returning as Éowyn to serve as the movie's narrator.

Despite being a major Lord of the Rings release, Rohirrim is divisive with critics. Alongside 1978's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014), Rohirrim is one of only three Lord of the Rings movies to earn a Rotten Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes with a 52% score. Among top critics, that score sinks to just 35%. Despite its low critical score, it has secured an 85% on the audience-led Popcornmeter.

Inside Out 2 is the highest-grossing movie of 2024 by a pretty wide margin, and it’s the first animated film to top the box office of an entire year in a long time. Not only is it the highest-grossing film of the year; Inside Out 2 is the highest-grossing animated movie ever made. It surpassed the 2019 remake of The Lion King, which has always been controversial for holding the record since it’s a photorealistic “live-action” reimagining of the animated classic. Now that Inside Out 2 has taken its throne, the highest-grossing animated movie is indisputably an animated movie.

The box office success of Inside Out 2 is a great example of a multigenerational hit. Whereas something like Despicable Me 4 will only appeal to younger viewers and something like Dune: Part Two will only appeal to older viewers, Inside Out 2 appeals to viewers of all ages. The colorful...

Quick Links Royd Tolkien's Characters Fought the Forces of Sauron Royd Tolkien Made a Surprising Appearance in Another Franchise

The Tolkien family has a complicated history with adaptations of J. R. R. Tolkien's stories. Its members have been very protective of The Lord of the Rings and have rarely permitted it to be adapted into other mediums. Many of the Tolkiens were quite critical of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. J. R. R.'s son, Christopher, thought that the films focused too much on action and comedy, failing to do justice to the philosophical side of his father's work. Christopher's son, Simon, had a more positive outlook on the films, but he still criticized Jackson's work. Simon went on to serve as a consultant for Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, with which Jackson had no involvement.

Quick Links How Peter Jackson Handled The Lord of the Rings Army of the Dead What Did The Film's Version of The Battle of Pelennor Fields Do Differently From the Book? Does the Army of the Dead's Inclusion Really Ruin the Battle for Minas Tirith?

Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, are considered to be perhaps the greatest and most influential trilogy in cinema history. As far as adaptations go, all three films remain quite faithful to the spirit, tone, and plot of their source material, at least for the most part. Like with any adaptation, certain changes just had to be made, as what works in literature doesn't always translate as well over to the screen. With many of the changes that Jackson put in place, most fans would agree that they were done for the good of the films and...

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim's Rotten Tomatoes score has arrived, and it fails to match the score for the original trilogy. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama, the anime film takes place 183 years before the events of Peter Jackson's three Lord of the Rings films, chronicling the origins of Helm's Deep and a conflict between the Rohirrim and the Dunlendings. The War of the Rohirrim's release comes 10 years after The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, and the film presents a very familiar version of Middle-earth to audiences.

Ahead of its theatrical bow, The War of the Rohirrim has now debuted on Rotten Tomatoes to a lukewarm score of 63% with 27 reviews, as of writing. Though this score is sure to fluctuate as more reviews are added, it currently ranks behind all three Lord of the Rings movies and two Hobbit films. An audience score...

Quick Links Dorwinion Had a Connection to the Elven Realms Little Was Known About Dorwinion Dorwinion is One of Middle-earth's Greatest Mysteries

Though Bilbo's main job in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy was to steal the Arkenstone from Smaug's lair, he ended up saving the Dwarves on many occasions, such as when King Thranduil imprisoned them in the Woodland Realm in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. First, Bilbo stole the keys to the Dwarves' cell from Thranduil's guards. He then led the Dwarves to Thranduil's wine cellar and smuggled them out of the kingdom in empty barrels headed for Lake-town. The One Ring allowed Bilbo to turn invisible and move about Thranduil's underground halls without being seen, but the more important factor in his plan's success was entirely down to luck: Thranduil's guards happened to drink some of their king's wine and pass out, so...

The Lord of the Rings franchise will cross an impressive milestone at the box office with the upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Seven films have been released in The Lord of the Rings franchise, including the 1978 animated movie. However, the animated Lord of the Rings film only grossed $30 million at the box office, so the movie franchise can truly be considered a success starting with 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring. Peter Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy was a worldwide phenomenon and changed Hollywood forever.

Years after The Lord of the Rings trilogy concluded with 2003's Return of the King, Jackson made three Hobbit movies, which were less critically acclaimed but still successful at the box office. Now, the world of Middle Earth will once again be presented in animated form in the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.

Back in the day, you could just throw any old bullshit into the end credits of a movie. In fact, filmmakers were fond of splicing the funniest bad takes into the infinite scroll, because why not? It was just some noise to play while people filed out of the theater. Now, we’re all used to hanging around for the post-credits scene, so we pay more attention, and it turns out some end credit choices are completely unhinged.

“So I watched Edge of Tomorrow yesterday for the first time,” Redditor TheAlmightyTapir told r/Movies, “and it was a good action/sci-fi movie. I liked it. And the ending was nice right up until the credits kicked in with, ‘Iiiiiiiiii Need To Knoooooow Now!’ It was incredibly jarring, and it got me thinking if there are any other movies out with an incredibly poor/random choice of music in the end credits.

The importance of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim's box office success has become even more vital for the franchise. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings adaptations of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King were all critical and commercial hits following their respective releases from 2001-2003. This included the movies becoming one of the most lucrative and highest-grossing series in cinematic history. While not as acclaimed, The Hobbit movie trilogy proved to be a box office success as well.

A decade after the theatrical debut of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, the upcoming release of The War of the Rohirrim marks several firsts for the franchise. Instead of being live-action like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, The War of the Rohirrim is an anime movie. It also is not...

Thanks in large part to auteur directors such as Ridley Scott, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, and yes, even Zack Snyder, whenever a Director's Cut of a new film comes along, people tend to get excited about the prospect of a fresh coat of paint to improve upon an already great film or to fix a movie broken from the beginning. More often than not, the Director's Cut offers some semblance of improvement at the very least, but not all the time.

While the evolution of the home media market from DVDs to Blu-rays to streaming services has afforded filmmakers the chance to revisit and provide "definitive" versions of movies they have previously released, sometimes these good intentions turn misguided, especially in those circumstances where the alterations to the movie are largely cosmetic more than anything else.

Related 10 Best Director's Cuts in Cinematic History, Ranked

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Some new live-action storylines will soon be coming to The Lord of the Rings franchise in the form of 2026's The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum movie, providing the perfect chance to resuscitate Lee Pace's excellent Thranduil. The upcoming Warner Bros. movie will come after 2024's The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, confirming a Lord of the Rings revival for Warner Bros. in the 2020s. Amazon Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, launching in 2022, builds the new momentum that J.R.R. Tolkien's timeless story is experiencing.

Lee Pace starred as the Silvan Elf, Thranduil, in The Hobbit movies, Warner Bros.' second Lord of the Rings trilogy. Pace's debut as Thranduil was in the first Hobbit movie, 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Pace went on to star in the next two Hobbit movies, 2013's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug...

The Lord of the Rings franchise is one of the best-loved and most transcendent film series of all time. Adapted from J.R.R. Martin's classic book series, Peter Jackson's films are considered to be some of the best book-to-screen adaptations of all time. Over two decades after the original trilogy came to an end with The Return of the King, the Lord of the Rings movies are still extremely popular.

As Warner Bros. begins developing new Lord of the Rings movies, including The War of the Rohirrim and The Hunt for Gollum, fans are looking back on Peter Jackson's original six films with renewed interest. While the films are entertaining from beginning to end, some manage to grab viewers' attention from their opening scenes.

Related 2024's New Lord of the Rings Movie Makes 1 Peter Jackson Film Required Viewing

The upcoming Lord of the Rings film, the War of the Rohirrim,...

Peter Jackson is the master of Middle-earth adaptations. The director and producer helmed the award-winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy that launched a golden age of fantasy cinema. He returned a decade later to put together a less perfect but still epic trilogy for "The Hobbit" book that preceded Tolkien's Ring epic. The legendary filmmaker has also agreed to executive produce Warner Bros upcoming "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" anime prequel to "The Two Towers" and is busily helping put together a prequel film for Gollum.

While he spent most of his time behind the camera, Jackson also slipped into a scene here and there. In fact, while it remains to be seen if he'll do so with movies going forward, Jackson managed to get a cameo in each of the six Middle-earth movies he created across his two great trilogies. Here are those cameos,...

Your browser does not support the video tag. Quick Links Sauron Turned Greenwood Into Mirkwood Middle-earth's Most Evil Monsters Were Drawn to Mirkwood Mirkwood Was Healed After The Lord of the Rings What Happened to the Elves of Mirkwood?

In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, Bilbo and Thorin's Company of Dwarves traveled through Mirkwood to the Lonely Mountain. Mirkwood was home to the Woodland Realm, the kingdom of Legolas from The Lord of the Rings, but it was far more dangerous than the forests surrounding the other Elven Realms. Mirkwood was a dark and dangerous place, afflicted by mysterious curses and swarms of monsters. As Beorn described in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug film, "A darkness lies upon that forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. I would not venture there except in great need." Yet Mirkwood was not always this way; it was...

Prime Video subscribers wanting to stream Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies better do so before the end of October as both trilogies will be leaving the streamer at the end of the month, per Toms Guide. October 31 will be the last day to stream the films on Prime.

The original Lord of the Rings trilogy started with The Fellowship of the Ring, which came out in 2001. It starred Elijah Wood as Frodo, a Hobbit who is tasked with destroying the One Ring, created by the dark lord Sauron. On his journey, he is accompanied by another faithful Hobbit, Samwise Gamgee, played by Sean Astin, as well as a slew of colorful characters including the Ranger, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen).

Related 'Getting the Band Back Together': Elijah Wood Addresses The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

Frodo actor Elijah Wood shares why he is...

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films were cinematic masterpieces that won both critical and commercial acclaim, so when he announced his return to Middle-earth for a series of films based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, the excitement was palpable. However, the films were released to mixed reviews, and though they were still successful at the box office, they did not have nearly the same impact on the cultural zeitgeist. Many fans of The Lord of the Rings lambasted The Hobbit for its bloated runtime, overreliance on CGI, occasional slapstick tone, and deviations from the source material. These criticisms are not entirely without merit, but they overlook the trilogy's many strengths. Though I do not think that The Hobbit films live up to The Lord of the Rings, they are good movies in their own right, and they deserve some long overdue praise for what they did well.

Fantasy books, movies, and TV shows are often spun into franchises because of the expansive worlds that the writers and creators of the series develop. While some spinoffs and sequels don't live up to previous books or screen iterations, these franchises have never disappointed me. Returning to the fantastical worlds that lie within the pages or dazzling visuals of these franchises has provided comfort, escape, and thrilling adventures at every turn. Whether it's through additional books, spinoffs, or multiple sequels, these fantasy stories have the potential to go on for a long time.

While there are some movies and fantasy TV shows that go on for too long, there are other franchises that are ever-expanding. World-building is a considerable factor in whether or not a fantasy series has the longevity to continue for many years. Of course, every audience is biased, as my favorite fictional universes that have captured my...

The Lord of the Rings universe is expanding, and exciting opportunities will come to further develop Middle-earths lore and characters. With that expansion, future Lotr films can capitalize on one largely missed Sauron opportunity. Warner Bros. Discovery announced plans to release several new Lotr films. The first release will be the animated The War of the Rohirrim at the end of 2024, followed by The Hunt for Gollum in 2026, with a second live-action film planned for a later date. These installments have the opportunity to mature the franchises narrow depictions of Sauron.

Peter Jackson most often portrayed Sauron (Sala Baker) in his cinematic The Lord of The Rings trilogy as the flaming and ever-watchful eye. In The Hobbit film series, Jackson showed a veiled Sauron (Benedict Cumberbatch) as The Necromancer. This shadowy and vague form eventually came to embody the armored Sauron shown in Jacksons films. Jackson, more often than not,...

Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings movies make up one of the most popular fantasy series ever put to screen, but there are multiple different viewing orders that make sense for this story. The movies are based on the works of British author J.R.R. Tolkien, whose original fantasy books take place in Middle-earth and follow a wide selection of Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Hobbits as they battle against the dark forces of evil that threaten their universe.

Since Peter Jacksons two trilogies take place at completely different points in time, audiences are now given a choice regarding how they want to experience this story. There are pros and cons to both Lord of the Rings viewing orders (release order and chronological order), with each option revealing information at different times and changing the way certain plot twists and surprises work. Plus, with the release of The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video,...

Quick Links Thranduil's Elk Participated in The Hobbit's Biggest Battle Thranduil's Elk Was Unique to the Films Deer Held Significance in Middle-earth's Lore

In Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films, the heroes typically rode horses or ponies; more unusual mounts such as Wargs and fell beasts were reserved for the forces of Sauron. But Jackson's subsequent The Hobbit trilogy was a bit more experimental in this regard. Din Ironfoot and his fellow Dwarves of the Iron Hills, for example, rode boars and rams into combat. Most Elves of the Woodland Realm in The Hobbit rode horses, just like the Elves of Rivendell and Lothlrien did in The Lord of the Rings, but there was an exception: Legolas' father, Thranduil. The dramatic King of the Woodland Realm needed a majestic steed to suit his royal status and his enormous ego, so he rode a large elk.

This article contains discussions of addiction, assault, and mental health.

When the pilot of "Lost" aired on ABC in September of 2004, it became an instant hit for the network and catapulted its sprawling cast to stardom in the process. Created by J.J. Abrams alongside Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof — the last of whom would eventually become a co-showrunner with Carlton Cuse — "Lost" begins in the immediate aftermath of a massive plane crash on a deserted island, but things quickly get very, very complicated. When Oceanic flight 815 crashes on that island while traveling from Sydney to Los Angeles, the audience is introduced to the survivors ... and throughout the first season, they all get a closer look through flashbacks set before they ever boarded the doomed flight.

I should say this up-front: the cast of "Lost" is huge, so not every single important character will get a spotlight here. As far as the core cast is concerned,...

I hope The Lord of the Rings franchise is not repeating a previous mistake with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will serve as The Hunt for Gollum's director, with Peter Jackson also attached as a producer. The movie is slated for a 2026 release and is expected to feature Serkis reprising the role of Gollum in a story that takes place before the events in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Another familiar franchise actor already attached to the project is Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in each of The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. McKellen shared that he had been approached to play the beloved wizard again and later mentioned that he was told The Hunt for Gollum will be two movies. This development has not yet been officially confirmed,...

Dwarves are one of the fantasy races in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and they had magical Rings of Power forged by Sauron and Celebrimbor, just like the Ringwraiths and the Elves. The Nine famously controlled the Ringwraiths. Meanwhile, the Elves' Rings of Power were shown in Peter Jackson's movies, as well as Amazon Prime Video's TV show. The Dwarf-rings have had less exposure on-screen, despite debuting in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2. In reality, they were dispersed across Middle-earth over the ages, and no Dwarf had managed to keep one by the end of The Lord of the Rings.

The Dwarves' Rings of Power were meant to enslave the Dwarves to Sauron, who made each ring subservient to the One Ring that he forged in Mordor. While the nine rings that Sauron gifted to Men successfully enslaved their recipients, the...

Quick Links The Lord Of The Rings' Depiction Of The Elves, Explained How Are Elves Represented In Other Media?

The Lord of the Rings franchise sports one of the most popular fantasy worlds ever created. Peter Jackson's adaptation of Middle-earth is a colorful and beloved rendition of J.R.R. Tolkien's original vision. Never before Tolkien nor since has there ever been a fantasy world so intricately fleshed out, with entire mythology, language, and history-making up the annals of Middle-earth's legendarium. While Jackson doesn't adapt every piece of Tolkien's lore, the filmmaker did an admirable job of bringing the most important parts of Middle-earth to life in his original trilogy and again in the Hobbit movies.

The world of Middle-earth is inhabited by all kinds of fantastical creatures, including Men, Orcs, Dwarves, Hobbits, Trolls, and many more. However, the most important race in the franchise is undoubtedly the Elves,...

Quick Links What Happens With Frodo And The Nazgul In The Book? Why Did The Movie Change Frodo's Nazgul Confrontation? Frodo's Nazgul Confrontation Is Better In The Book

Over twenty years after its conclusion, Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy remains one of the best book adaptations of all time. The films are a compelling treatise on the nature of power and how it all-too-easily corrupts the hearts of Men. Viewers follow Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) on an epic journey from his comfortable home in the Shire into the vast world of Middle-earth on a mission to cast the One Ring into the fires of Mordor. Along the way, he encounters all kinds of fantastical creatures, from Elves and Dwarves to Orcs and massive ancient spiders.

Frodo's difficult journey to Mordor got off to a bumpy start, with the Ringbearer nearly perishing on the first branch of his adventure.

Quick Links What Are The Palantri In The Lord Of The Rings and The Rings of Power? Why The Palantri Are So Dangerous What Happened To The Palantri?

The Lord of the Rings prequel series, The Rings of Power, brings back an ancient artifact that will have rippling effects on the future of Middle-earth. The Prime Video original series reveals that Queen Regent Miriel of Nmenor used a Palantir during her rule, upsetting the people of her kingdom and leading them to choose a new leader in her cousin, Ar-Pharazon. Viewers will recognize the Palantir from Peter Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy, where one belonging to Saruman becomes a focal point of the extended editions of The Return of the King.

J.R.R. Tolkien crafted a fleshed-out fantasy world in The Lord of the Rings, with many pieces of deep lore that would be easy to miss if...

Quick Links The Rings Of Power Fleshes Out A World Of High Fantasy House Of The Dragon Prefers To Focus On Cunning Politics The Rings Of Power And House Of The Dragon Fulfill Different Aspects Of The Fantasy Genre

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 has finally premiered its first few episodes on Prime Video, bringing audiences back to the fantastical world of Middle-earth after an agonizing two-year hiatus. The series acts as a prequel to the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's seminal works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, taking details and storylines from the author's appendices and The Silmarillion. After the dark lord, Sauron, revealed himself at the end of the previous season, Season 2 delves deeper into the crafting of the Rings of Power, setting up the events of The Lord of the Rings as Middle-earth teeters on the edge of utter darkness.

Peter Jacksons The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies present an impressive joint runtime, especially with the Lord of the Rings extended edition length padding that runtime. They lend themselves well to leisurely movie marathons with well-stocked snacks. Peter Jackson movie marathons are a favorite of households worldwide, preventing families and friends from having to move for hours. But examining how long it would actually take to watch all The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies reveals that the perfect marathon may take some planning, as one does not simply watch them all in one go.

With The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power out on Amazon Prime Video and The Rings of Power season 2 arriving, its a good time to be brushing up on The Lord of the Rings world. The Rings of Power is set before Jacksons films, in the Second Age, so...

It’s never a bad time for a “Lord of the Rings” rewatch, but the trouble can be tracking them down.

With both standard and extended editions for both the “Lotr” trilogy and “The Hobbit” trilogy, finding where to stream them from home can be a chore. But now that a new season of “The Rings of Power” on the horizon, it’s the perfect time to reacclimate to Middle-earth with a long binge.

Here’s where to stream all “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies.

Where can you stream “The Lord of the Rings” movies?

There are a few places to stream “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and extended editions. Here’s where you can find them all:

“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001) – Max, Prime Video “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” Extended Edition – Max “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers...

Amazon Prime Gaming is handing out even more free games, this time from within the vast world of The Lord of the Rings. Prime members will be able to get their hands on a number of free Lotr games right now. The games are being made available to celebrate the release of season two of The Lord of the rings: The Rings of Power, which debuts on August 29.

Members of Amazon Prime can claim Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition and Lego The Lord of the Rings. Both games will be available as Gog codes, so interested players will also need to have a Gog account to redeem them (which is free to create). Amazon Luna Prime subscribers can also play Middle-earth: Shadow of War for free in countries where Luna is available. All three games, along with the other games on the service, are free to claim and keep forever.

Quick Links Philippa Boyens Played a Key Role in Developing The Lord of the Rings for the Screen Philippa Boyens Isnt the Only Lord of the Rings Talent Returning in the War of the Rohirrim Philippa Boyens Was Slated to Write an Abandoned Disney Project Philippa Boyens worked alongside Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh in developing the screenplay for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Illustrator John Howe and Creative Director Richard Taylor have returned as creative talents on The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. Philippa Boyens was attached to a now-defunct Disney project about a young Merlin from Disney's The Sword in the Stone.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim sees the return of Peter Jackson, once again, to a Lord of the Rings property, this time as Executive Producer. The most recent trailer for the anime adaptation of a...

Quick Links Thranduil Fought in the War That Defeated Sauron Thranduil Was a Different Kind of Elven Ruler The Hobbit Films Made Thranduil a Deeper Character Thranduil was the King of the Woodland Realm and the father of Legolas from The Lord of the Rings. The spreading corruption of Mirkwood forced Thranduil and his people underground. Peter Jackson's The Hobbit film trilogy expanded Thranduil's role and made him a more sympathetic character.

Legolas was a fan-favorite character in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but the films barely explored his backstory. The audience knew little more than the fact that he was the prince of the Woodland Realm. The name of Legolas' father only came up once in the trilogy, and it was limited to the extended edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. When the Fellowship arrived in Lothlrien, Haldir greeted Legolas in Sindarin: "Mae govannen,...

Quick Links The Dwarves of Belegost Battled Middle-earth's First Dragon The Dwarves of Belegost Saved Elves and Men From Glaurung Thorin's Clan Was Powerless Against Smaug in The Hobbit In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and Peter Jackson's film adaptations, there was little that the Dwarves of Erebor could do to combat the great dragon Smaug. However, in The Silmarillion, Dwarves were much more effective against dragons thanks to their fireproof metal masks. There were a few reasons that the Dwarves of Erebor did not have access to this armor in The Hobbit.

In The Hobbit, the great dragon Smaug posed an insurmountable threat to the Dwarves. He laid waste to the kingdoms of Dale and Erebor, the latter of which was the main home for the Dwarven clan of Durin's Folk after the loss of Moria. Smaug killed countless soldiers and civilians alike, forcing the Dwarves of Erebor to flee.

Peter Jackson is known for making short, fun cameos in his Middle-earth movies, adding to the fans' enjoyment of the films. Jackson's relatives, friends, and crew members also make appearances in his movies, creating a sense of community on set. The director has made numerous cameo appearances in other films throughout his career, showcasing his love for fun and quirky roles.

Many filmmakers have made cameo appearances in their own movies, the most famous being Alfred Hitchcock, who appeared in at least forty films. Similarly, director Peter Jackson also has a long history of including himself in his movies, and his adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are no exception. Each of Peter Jackson's six movies set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth features one brief appearance from the fun-loving New Zealand director. Some of these cameos last for only a split-second, but a couple of...

The late legend Michael Gambon was a long, long fan favorite for many years, and one of the greatest reasons behind this was his outstanding portrayal of the Headmaster of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter saga, Professor Albus Dumbledore. As dear as the character was to Harry, the actor held an equally special place in fans’ hearts due to the same.

Michael Gambon in Layer Cake. | Sony Pictures Classics.

But while he was the only Dumbledore (after the late Richard Harris), he often got mistaken for one other actor who embodied a similar-looking character in The Lord of the Rings saga: Sir Ian McKellen, famous for his wizarding role of Gandalf. And Gambon was so fed up with the mix-up that he started giving autographs to strangers in McKellen’s name until his death!

Michael Gambon Had Enough of Being Mistaken for Sir Ian McKellen

Since both Professor Albus Percival...

Prime Video is the place to be in August with an incredible month of new releases. The month kicks off with the premiere of the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader on Aug. 1. The series was produced by J.J. Abrams and The Batman‘s Matt Reeves. We also return to Middle Earth this month with the premiere of The Rings of Power season 2 on Aug. 29.

As far as movies go, the Amazon original Jackpot! arrives on Aug. 15 starring Awkwafina and John Cena. This comedy is set in a world where Lottery winners have to survive until sundown in order to claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot – anyone who kills them before that gets to claim their prize.

The Hobbit trilogy also joins the Prime Video library this month, as do 21 and 22 Jump Street, Superman I-iv, Superman Returns, Night Swim, Drive Away Dolls, and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Here’s everything coming...

Quick Links The War of Wrath Reshaped the Blue Mountains The Blue Mountains Were a Refuge for the Dwarves The Blue Mountains Were Far From Other Dwarven Lands Gimli was born in the Blue Mountains, a mountain range along the western coast of Middle-earth. The Blue Mountains were a refuge for Durin's Folk after the falls of Moria and Erebor. Gimli had little attachment to the Blue Mountains, as he cared more about his ancestral homelands.

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies introduced some of Middle-earth's most important Dwarven lands. In The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the heroes travel through the Mines of Moria. Moria was the original home of Durin's Folk in the Misty Mountains, long abandoned after the Dwarves accidentally awoke the Balrog who rested there. Shortly before the events of The Lord of the Rings,...