The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was released in 2003.
The film is the third and final theatrical installment in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel. It follows the final stages of the War of the Ring, including the siege of Minas Tirith, Aragorn’s claim to leadership, and the destruction of the One Ring.
Its worldwide release took place in December 2003, continuing the trilogy’s unusual pattern of annual theatrical launches. The Fellowship of the Ring opened in 2001, while The Two Towers followed in 2002. This sequence is separate from the much longer production period, during which the three films were principally shot together in New Zealand.
The Return of the King became a major box-office success and received extensive awards recognition. It is often distinguished from the novel’s appendices and extended home-video edition, which add material but do not change its original theatrical release year.