The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released in 2001.
Directed by Peter Jackson, the film is the first entry in the trilogy based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. New Line Cinema released it theatrically on December 19, 2001, beginning the trilogy’s worldwide cinema run.
The story introduces Frodo Baggins, the One Ring, the fellowship formed at Rivendell, and the attempt to prevent Sauron from regaining power. Its success established the trilogy as one of the defining film projects of the early 2000s.
The other two films followed annually: The Two Towers in 2002 and The Return of the King in 2003. The trilogy was filmed largely in New Zealand and shot as one connected production.