Peter Jackson directed the three-film The Lord of the Rings adaptation released between 2001 and 2003. The films were The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King.
The production was filmed primarily in New Zealand and featured Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn. Jackson co-wrote the screenplays with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, adapting Tolkien’s long and structurally complex novel for cinema.
The Fellowship of the Ring premiered in 2001, The Two Towers followed in 2002, and The Return of the King arrived in 2003. The final film won all 11 Academy Awards for which it was nominated, including Best Picture and Best Director.
These films are distinct from Jackson’s later Hobbit trilogy, which adapted Tolkien’s earlier novel. Guillermo del Toro was initially attached to direct The Hobbit films before Jackson took over the director’s role.