“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy returns to theatres in January with extended versions from director Peter Jackson.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the trilogy, all three films will be showing in remastered, 4K Ultra format, on successive days in January. The films will screen in DBOX presentation from Jan. 16-19 and then in standard formats from Jan. 23-25.
You can see each of the three films, in sequence, the week of January 16-25, 2026. The screening schedule is:
- The Fellowship of the Ring on these Fridays: January 16 and 23, 2026
- The Two Towers on these Saturdays: January 17 and 24, 2026
- The Return of the King on these Sundays: January 18 and 25, 2026
These classic movies are hosted by Fathom Entertainment and will be shown in hundreds of theatres nationwide. In addition to bringing the extended films back to the big screen, limited-edition “Lord of the Rings”- themed concession items will be available at select participating theaters. AMC moviegoers can look out for limited-edition popcorn buckets featuring maps of Middle Earth, while Regal and local cinema patrons can get buckets with a “One Ring” design.
Read more or get tickets at:
Lord of the Rings Trilogy in Theatres
See a preview and more details below.
About The Lord of the Rings
New Line Cinema first released the three “Lord of the Rings” movies in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Based on the epic fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, the three films were shot back-to-back in New Zealand. Peter Jackson directed the films and wrote the screenplays with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Cumulatively, the series grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide and won 17 Academy Awards. The third film, “The Return of the King” earned 11 Academy Awards: the highest number of any film, tied with “Ben-Hur” and “Titanic.” Peter Jackson returned to Middle Earth to direct “The Hobbit” trilogy in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
While the original theatrical cuts of the “Lord of the Rings” movies come in at a little over nine hours in total, the extended editions are cumulatively 11 and a half hours long. Each extended edition was released on home video a year after its respective theatrical cut hit cinemas.

Related stories:
Classic Films in Theatres in 2024
