Peter Jackson directed the live-action The Lord of the Rings film trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels.
The three films were The Fellowship of the Ring, released in 2001; The Two Towers, released in 2002; and The Return of the King, released in 2003. Jackson directed all three, helping maintain a continuous visual and narrative style across the adaptation.
The production was filmed primarily in New Zealand, where the landscapes became strongly associated with Middle-earth for a new generation of audiences. The trilogy starred Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn.
Peter Jackson is sometimes confused with Guillermo del Toro, who was attached to direct The Hobbit films before leaving the project. Jackson ultimately directed The Hobbit trilogy as well, but his Lord of the Rings films came first.