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Where to Watch Lord of the Rings Movies From Anywhere

Where to Watch Lord of the Rings Movies in 2024: Stream the Lord of the Rings Trilogy From Anywhere

The LOTR franchise is distributed across various services. We'll clear up the confusion and show you how and where to watch 'Lord of the Rings' from wherever you are with a VPN.

Kit CopsonSandra PattisonAlison Spedale

Written by Kit Copson (Writer, Briefing Editor)

Reviewed by Sandra Pattison (Editor)

Facts checked by Alison Spedale (Fact-checking editor)

Last Updated: 2024-02-23T17:40:32+00:00

All our content is written fully by humans; we do not publish AI writing. Learn more here.

Key Takeaways: Where to watch ‘The Lord of the Rings’
  1. Sign up for and download a reputable VPN
  2. Open the VPN’s app and connect to a French, Canadian or Australian server. 
  3. Stream ‘The Lord of the Rings’ on Amazon Prime Video. 

What to know about The Lord of the Rings 

  • The ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins and his loyal friends as they endeavor to find and destroy the One Ring before a dark lord takes control of Middle Earth. 
  • The ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies are available on various platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Max, depending on where you’re located. A VPN can help you get around geoblocks. We recommend ExpressVPN for streaming. 
  • To watch all the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies, connect to a VPN server in France, Canada or Australia and stream them on Amazon Prime Video. This guide contains a tutorial on how and where to watch ‘Lord of the Rings.’ 
Best VPN for Lord of the Rings

Not available in your country?

Watch The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring now on Netflix

Status checked 2024/04/21:

The legendary ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie franchise, first released in 2001 and directed by Peter Jackson, is made up of two trilogies — the LOTR trilogy and the ‘Hobbit’ trilogy. In 2022, the long-awaited fantasy series ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ TV series arrived on Amazon Prime Video.

The ‘Lord of the Rings’ collection is the tale of a mild-mannered but fiercely brave hobbit named Frodo Baggins and his faithful friends who embark on a dangerous quest to destroy the One Ring. The ‘Hobbit’ movies are set around 60 years before the events of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and follow Frodo’s uncle, Bilbo Baggins, as he helps to take back his companions’ homeland. 

You can use a highly reviewed VPN service like ExpressVPN or NordVPN to stream ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ and we’ll show you how. There are also plenty of secure, free VPN services you can try out. 

  • 02/23/2024 Facts checked

    We have updated this guide to include new information on where all the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies and the 2022 series ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ are available to stream, and how to access them with a VPN. 

How to Watch All Lord of the Rings Movies Online

There’s no shortage of streaming platforms on which you can stream ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ but your location determines which platforms are available to you. Keep reading to find out how and where to watch ‘The Lord of the Rings’ online (all six movies and the TV series) from anywhere.

If you try to access the ‘Lord of the Rings’ or the ‘Hobbit’ trilogies on certain platforms in certain locations, you may face difficulties due to regional restrictions. Fortunately, there’s a simple trick to circumvent this issue: Connect to a reliable streaming VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN for this purpose, and we’ll get into that more later. 

For now, stay tuned to learn more about how to watch all the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Hobbit’ movies with a VPN regardless of your location. 

Which Streaming Services Have Lord of the Rings?

In several countries, Amazon Prime Video is home to all the LOTR movies and the 2022 series. In the U.S., the movies are on Max. However, some countries do not have the collection on Amazon Prime Video and instead use alternative platforms. Read on to find out whether ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is on Netflix and where each movie is available by country. 

Is Lord of the Rings on Netflix?

The ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy (all three movies) is on Netflix in two countries:

  • 🇦🇺 Australia
  • 🇯🇵 Japan

However, it’s not on Netflix in the U.S., the U.K. or Canada. Furthermore, the ‘Hobbit’ trilogy is not available on Netflix Australia or Japan. Though some Netflix content is available everywhere, other content is only available in specific countries for copyright reasons. 

You can change your Netflix region with a VPN. In that case, you would connect to a server in Australia or Japan and then log in to Netflix like normal to start streaming the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies. 

Where to Watch All Lord of the Rings Movies: In Order By Release Date

Here’s a breakdown of where the ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Hobbit’ trilogies are available and other information we think you should know. 

If you don’t have a streaming subscription, you can purchase the films on a variety of purchase or rental platforms, including Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Apple TV. Availability may differ by country. 

MovieStreamingNotes
1. ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ (2001)
2. ‘The Two Towers’ (2002)
3. ‘The Return of the King’ (2003)
Amazon Prime Video*
Max: U.S.
Sky & Now: U.K. 
Crave: Canada
Netflix: Australia & Japan
Binge: Australia
Stan: Australia
Foxtel Now: Australia 
Free trials on:
Amazon Prime Video
Now
Binge
Stan
Foxtel Now
1. ‘An Unexpected Journey’ (2012)
2. ‘The Desolation of Smaug’ (2013)
3. ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ (2014)
Amazon Prime Video*
Max: U.S.
Crave: Canada
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ (2022) — seriesAmazon Prime Video (worldwide)
*Available in Australia, France, Canada and more

How to Watch Lord of the Rings in Chronological Order

To watch the series chronologically, you’ll need to start with the 2022 series, then watch the ‘Hobbit’ trilogy in order of release date, and then the original trilogy by release date. 

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) 

The ‘Rings of Power’ Amazon Prime Video series takes viewers on a journey through the complex and magical history of Middle Earth and back to the roots of important events in the film series. It’s set during the Second Age, thousands of years before the other stories. 

2. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

The first ‘Hobbit’ installment follows the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, who is recruited by the wizard Gandalf to help a party of dwarves take back the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. 

3. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) 

‘The Desolation of Smaug’ is the continuation of Bilbo and his companions’ journey to the Lonely Mountain. The group faces pursuit by orcs and must venture into the dangerous forest of Mirkwood. 

4. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)

The final installment in the ‘Hobbit’ series, ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ reveals what happens when everything comes to a head and the group faces its final battle for victory. 

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

In the first of the six films, it is Bilbo’s nephew Frodo’s turn to go on an adventure of his own. His undertaking is to bring the One Ring — which the dark lord Sauron seeks — to Mount Doom and destroy it. 

6. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

The second ‘Lord of the Rings’ installment sees the group cast in different directions. While Sam and Frodo — whom an unwilling hostage now assists — soldier on to Mordor, their companions have missions to complete elsewhere. 

7. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003)

The LOTR trilogy comes to an end with ‘Return of the King,’ which follows Frodo and Sam’s last desperate push towards Mordor while the rest of the group prepares for battle. 

Will There Be New Lord of the Rings Movies? 

Yes. ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’ (distributed by Warner Bros.) is set to be released in December 2024. The animated film — set 261 years before the events in ‘The Two Towers’ — will center around King of Rohan Helm Hammerhand, who must prepare for a battle of his own. 

How to Watch Lord of the Rings (Free) Online With a VPN

Here, we’ll show you how to change your Amazon Prime Video library to watch both LOTR trilogies and the 2022 series if any of them are unavailable in your location. Remember that you can also watch the first trilogy on Netflix Australia or Japan — all you need to do is connect to a server in one of those countries. 

Amazon Prime Video offers a 30-day free trial, and you can use a VPN’s money-back guarantee to get a refund.

  1. Get a VPN

    Sign up for a VPN service. We’ll use ExpressVPN for this tutorial (which has a 30-day money-back guarantee), but you’ll find more recommendations below.

    get expressvpn
  2. Download the VPN

    If you’re on a web browser, locate the “download” tab to start the installation process. If you’re on mobile, go to the App Store or Google Play Store.

    download expressvpn
  3. Connect to a Server

    Connect to a server in one of the countries that has the whole ‘Lord of the Rings’ series in its Amazon Prime Video library, like Australia, Canada or France.

    expressvpn australia
  4. Log in to Amazon Prime Video

    Go to the Amazon Prime Video website in the country you selected (i.e. Amazon Prime Video Australia), log in and search for the movie you want to watch.

    lotr apv

The Best VPNs to Stream Lord of the Rings

If you want a VPN for streaming, we recommend choosing one whose security features and speed have been highly reviewed. We’ve used the three VPNs below for streaming for years, and we feel confident recommending them for this purpose.

1. ExpressVPN

expressvpn australia
ExpressVPN is the most well-rounded VPN provider for streaming. 

Pros:

  • Excellent security
  • Easy to use 
  • Very fast 

Cons:

  • Expensive

ExpressVPN is usually at the top of most of our roundups, and this time is no exception. Apart from its pricing — which is above average in the VPN business — we can’t fault this stealthy and fast provider. Thanks to ExpressVPN’s speeds, consistency and unbeatable security, we’ve been able to stream smoothly with it for several years. 

Because ExpressVPN provides us with such a flawless streaming experience, we think it’s worth the extra pennies. However, if you’d prefer to check out some close competitors at cheaper prices, take a look at the providers below. Our ExpressVPN review will help you out if you want to learn more, and you can use the provider’s 30-day money-back guarantee for peace of mind. 

2. NordVPN

nordvpn australia
NordVPN is the best fast VPN, just ahead of its close competitors.

Pros:

  • Best speeds on average
  • Affordable long-term plans
  • Extra features available

Cons:

  • Finicky mobile app 

If speed is your main priority, you can’t beat NordVPN, which our tests have pinpointed as the most consistent fast VPN in all areas: upload, download and latency. In addition, NordVPN is very reasonably priced, offering affordable long-term plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can opt for a basic plan or one with a more extensive feature set. 

Some of the extra features NordVPN offers include cloud storage, data leak analysis and a password manager. On the downside, NordVPN isn’t quite as user-friendly for beginners as ExpressVPN. You can learn more in our best VPN for beginners guide and NordVPN review

Basic
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes
Plus
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes
Complete
  • *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
  • Unlimited GB
  • 6
  • Yes

3. Surfshark

surfshark australia
Surfshark is a VPN provider with a lot to offer at a low price if you go for a long-term plan. 

Pros:

  • Great uploads & downloads
  • Cheap long-term plans
  • Packed with features 

Cons:

  • High latency on U.S. & U.K. servers

Like NordVPN, Surfshark is flexible with its pricing and plans. The Surfshark Starter plan is very cheap in the long term and comes with several extras, including an ad blocker and a cookie pop-up blocker. Speed is another area in which Surfshark shines, sitting just behind NordVPN and ExpressVPN in our fastest VPN roundup. 

That said, Surfshark’s latency on U.S. and U.K. servers has proven to be consistently high compared to the top two providers, which means gaming with Surfshark may not be the best option. Otherwise, this is a solid streaming VPN, and it also has a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our Surfshark review tells all. 

Surfshark Starter
  • Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $185.40 for one year, $370.80 for two years
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
  • Yes
Surfshark One
  • Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $191.40 for one year, $380.80 for two years.
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited
Surfshark One+
  • Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $215.40 for one year, $430.80 for two years
  • Unlimited GB
  • Unlimited

Final Thoughts

In addition to unblocking ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ a good VPN like ExpressVPN, NordVPN or Surfshark is all you need to unlock a more diverse streaming world while keeping your online data for your eyes only. 

Do you use a VPN to stream movies and shows? If so, which one do you use and why? Please let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading. 

FAQ: Where to Stream Lord of the Rings

  • ‘The Lord of the Rings’ is on Amazon Prime Video in France, Canada and Australia. The films are also in a couple of Netflix libraries and on Max in the U.S.

  • Yes, it is available on Netflix Australia and Japan. If you’re outside those countries, you can connect to a VPN server to access the movies in those libraries.

  • Yes, the LOTR movies are free on Amazon Prime Video in several countries.

  • You should watch ‘The Hobbit’ first if you want to watch in chronological order.

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