The “Lord of the Rings” trilogy is returning to theaters to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” and fans are eager to embark on another epic journey through Middle-earth.
The “Fellowship of the Ring” will screen Jan. 16, followed by “The Two Towers” on Jan. 17 and “The Return of the King” on Jan. 18. All films will be shown in their extended editions.
A special trailer has also been released in anticipation of the milestone anniversary.
The trilogy has already earned $5 million in domestic presales, according to Fathom Entertainment, already selling about 407,000 tickets.
In comparison, the company’s previous “Lord Of The Rings” rerelease in 2024 earned $8.2 million over the weekend and had sold roughly 246,000 tickets at the same point in its sales cycle. This time around, Fathom added more locations, dates and showtimes to meet demand.
Those who plan to see all three films will need to carve out a significant chunk of time. The original theatrical cuts, directed by Peter Jackson, have a run time of a little over nine hours, while the extended editions clock in at 11½ hours all together.
Fathom Entertainment CEO Ray Nutt said how excited he was for the record start to the rerelease and for the fanbase to see the films on the big screen once again, this time with a theater exclusive note from Jackson himself before each of the three films, according to Variety.
“The extended editions of the trilogy of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ movies are sure to be a landmark event for fans and a high point for classic film re-releases in 2026,” he shared.
Based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure fantasy novels, the trilogy’s original releases grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide and won 17 Academy Awards, according to IMDb. “The Hobbit” trilogy, which also took audiences back to Middle-earth, grossed a combined $3 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.
Fans interested in the rerelease can visit Fathom Entertainment’s website to find participating theaters. In Utah, Cinemark, AMC and Regal Theaters will show the films beginning Jan. 16, with showtimes continuing through Jan. 25.
Fans are looking forward to rewatching the trilogy in theaters once again.